How are intellectual property rights governed in India?
India has put in place legal instruments to conform to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) with respect to copyrights, trademarks, industrial designs, etc. Legal instruments pending consideration by Parliament include the Patents Amendment Bill, 1999, the Bill for the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights, 1999 and the Biological Diversity Bill, 1999. India is party to the agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) under the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT), which came into force on 1 January 1995. Being a developing country, India was entitled to a 5-year transition up to 1 January 2000 for most provisions of the TRIPS. An exception is the introduction of product patents in areas of technology not covered so far. Once the Patents Amendment Bill is passed it will fulfill these requirements. How effective are IPR laws in India? What are your recommendations for making them more effective? Intellectual property laws in the country a
