First Annual Roundtable on Innovation, Intellectual Property and Competition

0001The Centre for Innovation, Intellectual Property and Competition, CIIPC, organised the First Annual Roundtable on Innovation, Intellectual Property and Competition on 1st and 2nd April 2016 at National Law University Delhi.

0002The Roundtable brought together participants to discuss issues concerning innovation, intellectual property and competition law and policy.

Inaugural Proceedings

0003The Roundtable was inaugurated on 1st April 2016 with welcome remarks by Prof. Dr. Ranbir Singh, Vice Chancellor of National Law University Delhi.

0004Dr. Arul George Scaria and Mr. Yogesh Pai introduced the Centre for Innovation, Intellectual Property and Competition. They discussed the role and objectives of CIIPC and introduced the members of the CIIPC team.

Keynote Address

0005Professor Christine Greenhalgh from the Department of Economics at the University of Oxford delivered the keynote address on the draft National IP Policy of India.

0006Her address discussed the standard of inventive step in patent law, patentability of software, introduction of a utility model for patents, and the need for a codified trade secret law.

0007The proceedings were followed by a vote of thanks by Prof. Dr. G. S. Bajpai, Registrar of National Law University Delhi, and a networking dinner.

Roundtable Discussions

0008The Roundtable discussions continued on 2nd April 2016.

0009The first session, titled Innovation Economics, What Can It Teach IP Policy Making in India, was chaired by Prof. Dr. Prabuddha Ganguli, Ministry of HRD Chair on IPR, Tezpur University, Assam.

0010The discussion examined IP policy from an economic perspective, particularly its effect on innovation. The discussion highlighted the need to gather and analyse empirical data for framing an effective IP policy capable of producing desirable effects on innovation.

0011The second session, titled Assessing the Role of Patents and Competition Policy in Technology Markets, Business and Regulation Perspective, was chaired by Mr. Pravin Anand, Managing Partner at Anand and Anand.

0012The session brought together different perspectives on the effects of patent and competition law on technology markets. Participants represented different stakeholders, including the Competition Commission of India, patent law practitioners, and representatives of businesses such as Qualcomm and Intel.

0013The third session, titled Intellectual Property and Competition Law in India, Issues of Jurisdiction and Role of Courts, was chaired by Prof. Jay Kesan from the University of Illinois.

0014The session examined jurisdiction and the role of courts in the context of intellectual property and competition law. Particular attention was given to the Delhi High Court judgment in Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson v. Competition Commission of India and Another concerning the role of the Competition Commission of India in patent related matters. Participants examined the issue from statutory and practical perspectives.

Final Session

0015The final session, titled FRAND in India from a Comparative Perspective and the DIPP Discussion Paper on SEPs, was chaired by Hon’ble Justice S. Ravindra Bhat of the Delhi High Court.

0016Participants considered the questions raised by the DIPP in its Discussion Paper on SEPs. The session also discussed the scope and ambit of Standard Setting Organizations and the nature and effect of FRAND obligations in India. Justice S. Ravindra Bhat contributed a judicial perspective to the discussion.

Conclusion

0017The First Annual Roundtable concluded with the official launch of the website of the Centre for Innovation, Intellectual Property and Competition by Hon’ble Justice S. Ravindra Bhat. This was followed by a vote of thanks and high tea.