First India-EU IPR dialogue held to strengthen relation

New Delhi [India], January 19 : The first India-EU IPR dialogue between the European Union (EU) Commission and Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) was held on January 14 through a virtual platform.
"The meeting was jointly hosted by EU Commission and DPIIT and was co-chaired by the Joint Secretary of DPIIT Ravinder and Carlo Pettinato, Head of Unit Investment & Intellectual Property, Directorate-General for Trade European Commission," read a Ministry of Commerce & Industry release.
"Senior government functionaries from Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Health and Department of Revenue from the Indian side, and several Directorate Generals of European Commission, from EU side, participated in the dialogue," the ministry informed on Tuesday.
"The India Co-Chair provided an overview of various Intellectual property rights (IPR) developments, with an aim to meet the objectives set forth in the National IPR policy 2016. He also reiterated the importance of legislative reforms brought in by India to stimulate innovation and creativity among start-ups and MSMEs," it said.
The ministry informed that the various initiatives taken up by the Indian government in this context were appreciated by the EU representatives.
"The EU Co-Chair provided a brief overview of DG trade and the various activities being undertaken by them including IPRs in relation to Free Trade Agreements as well as effective enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights," it added.
"Representative from EU provided an update on a recent directive on Copyright in the digital market keeping in pace with changing demands of the industry. On Trademark, they presented the details about the dual system available in the region which provides flexibility to the owners," the ministry further informed.
"Indian counterparts updated the functionaries on reduced pendency on trademarks and department's continuous efforts to further improve the process. Further, there were discussions on plant proectual Property Rightstection and farmer's right and their importance for the Indian economy. A representative from India also briefed on the various enforcement initiatives being taken by the government so as to ensure the right of the owners is respected," it said.
Towards the conclusion of the dialogue, the Co-Chairs thanked all the representatives for their participation and initiative in strengthening the bilateral relationship, particularly during the challenging times of the Covid19 pandemic, which is also an opportunity to bring the two nations closer through collaboration in the area of IP protection and its enforcement.
"It was emphasized that this dialogue is an effective platform to discuss key intellectual property issues that affect business entities and to identify areas for closer collaboration for the mutual benefit of both economies," the ministry added.