NEW DELHI: The Think Tank constituted by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion to draft the National Intellectual Property Rights Policy has sought views from stakeholders for the first draft.
 
The group set up on 19 December headed by Justice (Retd) Prabha Sridevan to head and advice the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion on IPR issues wants to receive comments on ipr@nic.in on or before 30 January.
 
Other members of the IPR Think Tank are: Senior Advocate Pratibha M Singh; advocate  Punita Bhargava; Unnat Pandit of Cadila Pharmaceuticals; and Rajeev Srinivasan who is Director of Asian School of Business in Thiruvananthapuram. WIPO retired DDG Narendra K. Sabarwal will serve as Convener.
 
The IPR Think Tank will draft a National Intellectual Property Rights Policy; identify areas in the IPRs where study needs to be conducted and to furnish recommendations in this regard to the Ministry; provide views on the possible implications of demands placed by the negotiating partners; keep the Government regularly informed about the developments taking place in IPR cases which have an impact upon India`s IPR Policy; advise the Government on best practices to be followed in Trademark Offices, Patent Offices and other Government Offices dealing with IPR in order to create an efficient and transparent system of functioning in the said offices; prepare periodic reports on best practice followed in foreign countries; highlight anomalies in the present IPR legislations and to advice possible solutions to the Ministry; give suggestions on the steps that may be taken for improving infrastructure in IP offices and Tribunals; and examine the current issues raised by industry associations and those that may have appeared in media and to give suggestions to the Ministry on such issues.