World IP Day 2023: Women and IP — Accelerating Innovation and Creativity

0001On 5th May, 2023, National Law University Delhi, the Indian Intellectual Property Office, and the UK Intellectual Property Office jointly organised an event on the World IP Day 2023 theme, “Women and IP Accelerating Innovation and Creativity”, as part of the celebrations for World IP Day 2023 and India’s G20 initiatives.

0002The event provided a platform for discussion and exchange of ideas on the role of intellectual property in women’s empowerment and how intellectual property has supported women as inventors, creators, and entrepreneurs.

Inaugural Session

0003The programme began with a high tea and welcome session at 3:15 PM. The inaugural session commenced at 3:45 PM with an introduction by Ms. Pragya Chaturvedi, IP Attaché, British High Commission, followed by welcome remarks from Mr. Huw Watkins, Head of Asia Policy, UK Intellectual Property Office.

0004Dr. Sarah Whitehead, Interim Director of International Policy, UK Intellectual Property Office, and Dr. Usha Rao, Assistant Controller, Intellectual Property Office India, delivered special addresses during the session.

Panel I: Accelerating Innovation and Creativity The Role of IP in Women Empowerment

0005The first panel discussion began at 4:15 PM and was moderated by Ms. Jayashree Watal, Visiting Professor, NLU Delhi. The panel featured Ms. Latha Nair, Partner, K&S Partners, Ms. Sunita Sreedharan, CEO, SKS Law Associates, Ms. Gauri Kumar, India and South Asia Consultant, INTA, Dr. Namita Gupta, Senior Manager, FITT, IIT Delhi, and Dr. Yogesh Pai, Associate Professor, NLU Delhi.

0006Ms. Latha Nair discussed the limited benefits derived from Geographical Indications and the gaps in the existing legal framework. She explained that GI products often have lower supply and higher demand and are therefore treated as premium products. She highlighted that the expected benefits for producer communities may not be fully realised when mechanisms for quality checking are inadequate, which can also affect women within these communities.

0007Ms. Sunita Sreedharan discussed her experience of supporting women inventors and working in patent practice. She explained that intellectual property can enable women through patents as well as through rights such as trademarks and copyright. She emphasised the need to provide greater support to women in navigating the patent filing process. She also discussed difficulties relating to private funding and networking and highlighted the lower levels of funding available to women. She suggested making common templates for complex legal documents such as non disclosure agreements available to reduce legal costs.

0008Dr. Namita Gupta discussed the representation of women in intellectual property and highlighted the lower proportion of women in patents compared with men. She emphasised the need to facilitate networking opportunities for women in business. She discussed the role of FITT in connecting women with industry and supporting negotiation and funding. She also highlighted women specific programmes that assist in developing business plans and preparing women to interact with angel investors. She emphasised the importance of programmes focused on women in STEM and technical fields to improve access to intellectual property rights.

0009Ms. Gauri Kumar discussed the need to support women in developing an intellectual property ecosystem. She referred to programmes of INTA that examine the reasons for the underrepresentation of women in intellectual property. She also discussed research and tools focused on organisational best practices and practical strategies for supporting women. She referred to findings concerning the gender gap in leadership roles and discussed measures such as creating an inclusive workforce, including facilities such as creches and washrooms for women.

0010Dr. Yogesh Pai discussed the role of intellectual property in empowering women. He referred to statistics concerning the representation of women in intellectual property and discussed the different waves of feminism. He also discussed the gender equality paradox in STEM and compared participation in STEM fields across different countries. He highlighted the increasing relevance of intellectual property as a tool for the benefit of women and the need for further academic research in this area.

0011The panel concluded with comments and questions from the audience and the panellists on the role of women in intellectual property.

Panel II: IP Journeys of Women Inventors Creators and Entrepreneurs

0012The second panel began at 5:15 PM and was moderated by Dr. Malathi Lakshmikumaran, Executive Director and Practice Head, Lakshmikumaran and Sridharan Attorneys, New Delhi.

0013The panel featured Dr. Shubra Chakraborty, Director, National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Prof. Archana Chugh, Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, IIT Delhi, Prof. Suma Athreye, School of Public Policy, IIT Delhi, and Dr. Satya Dash, Founding CEO, BITS BioCyTiH Foundation.

0014The speakers shared their experiences of using intellectual property in their professional journeys and discussed ways of increasing the participation of women in the intellectual property system to support innovation, creativity, and business growth.

0015Dr. Shubhra Chakraborty discussed the challenges faced by women in STEM and highlighted the impact of traditional roles and responsibilities on women pursuing opportunities in these fields. She also discussed access to higher education in STEM and the importance of supporting women through the processes involved in patenting and other intellectual property rights.

0016Prof. Archana Chugh, who has experience as a scientist and patent agent and has also worked in an IP firm, discussed the role of women in intellectual property and business. Drawing from her own experience, she highlighted the importance of understanding patent protection and discussed the consequences of being unaware of the importance of patents.

0017Prof. Suma Athreye discussed intellectual property in academia and the representation of women in STEM research. She highlighted the challenges faced by women in academic and professional environments and discussed the difficulties arising from the underrepresentation of women in STEM.

0018Dr. Satya Dash discussed the lack of access to intellectual property for women and highlighted structural barriers affecting their participation in the IP system.

Dinner Keynote

0019The programme concluded with a dinner keynote from 7:00 PM to 7:30 PM. Ms. Christina Scott CMG, British Deputy High Commissioner to India, delivered the introductory remarks.

0020The Guest of Honour and Keynote Speaker, Hon’ble Justice Prathiba M. Singh, Judge, Delhi High Court, delivered an address on Women in IP Bar and Bench.

0021The programme concluded with remarks by the Special Guest, Prof. Dr. Harpreet Kaur, Registrar, NLU Delhi.