Page 19 - 2017 INTA Annual Report

INDIA
INTERVIEW WITH: Gauri Kumar Consultant
QWhat was the outcome of the INTA delegation’s visit to India in 2017?
QINTA collaborated with the Indian government on a children’s intellectual property
awareness campaign in 2017. Why is this initiative significant?
QWhat is INTA’s main focus in India?
AIndia is currently undergoing a positive transformation in its intellectual property rights (IPR) management and administration. Given this, INTA’s main focus in India right now is to ensure that the government and the country’s IP administration successfully fulfill the objectives of India’s IPR policy and remove preventable obstacles faced by brand owners and practitioners in the efficient administration and protection of their trademark rights.
In addition, INTA is closely watching the development of potentially burdensome brand restriction scenarios in order to advocate against them should the need arise.
INTA will also be focused on providing active volunteering opportunities to our members in India and to our members based outside India that have an interest in the region. This will not only make the Association’s voice and opinion more impactful, but it will also fortify INTA’s position as a leading IP association in the region.
AChildren are the future. If encouraged in the right direction, they have the power to bring about positive changes in their immediate environment—and even globally. Educating children about the significance of IP rights at an early age will instill in them the proper respect for IP and the importance of creativity and innovation as contributors to economic growth, both in India and elsewhere.
Recognizing this, the government of India has initiated a children’s IP awareness and education campaign as part of the first objective of its National IPR Policy. INTA is honored to collaborate with this campaign for school children through the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) and its Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM). The campaign was launched in New Delhi in April, and so far, CIPAM and INTA volunteers have taught more than 1,000 children, using resource materials that INTA created for this notable project.
AFor the past few years, INTA has been sending high-level delegations to India annually to engage with IP officials and our members, providing input on legislative developments and collaborating on shared goals, such as consumer protection and education.
The 2017 delegation, held in March and led by INTA’s CEO and its President, was able to cement the Association’s existing relationships with government departments and stakeholders with a key role in shaping the country’s IP landscape. The government officials we met with were very appreciative of the regular comments submitted by INTA, and they encouraged the Association to continue to weigh in on various issues related to trademarks and brands. For example, INTA met with the Indian Customs Commissioner, IP attachés of foreign missions, and several Supreme Court and Delhi High Court judges.
Several significant action points emerged during the 2017 delegation’s visit. Among them, as a result of a discussion with DIPP on the need for conducting an IP impact/valuation study in India, INTA’s Impact Studies Committee submitted a memorandum on key recommendations on conducting an economic impact study.
The delegation also reviewed concrete outcomes and next steps of the joint IPR awareness initiative for children. Both sides agreed that this collaboration opens the door to consideration of further collaborations in the future.
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