By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, OCT 25, 2014: DEPARTMENT of Industrial Policy and Promotion has constituted a IPR Think Tank to draft the National Intellectual Property Rights Policy and to advice the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion on IPR issues.

2. The composition of the IPR Think Tank will be as follows:-

i. Justice (Retd) Prabha Sridevan, Chairperson, IPR Think Tank;

ii. Ms. Pratibha M Singh, Sr. Advocate, Singh & Singh Law Firm, Member;

iii. Ms. Punita Bhargava, Advocate, Inventure IP, Member;

iv. Dr. Unnat Pandit, Cadila Pharmaceuticals Limited, Member;

v. Shri Rajeev Srinivasan, Director, Asian School of Business, Thiruvananthapuram, Member; and

vi. Shri Narendra K. Sabarwal, Retired DDG, WIPO, Member and Convener.

3. The terms of reference of the IPR Think Tank will be as follows;-

i. To draft National Intellectual Property Rights Policy.

ii. To identify areas in the IPRs where study needs to be conducted and to furnish recommendations in this regard to the Ministry.

iii. To provide views on the possible implications of demands placed by the negotiating partners.

iv. To keep the Government regularly informed about the developments taking place in IPR cases which have an impact upon India's IPR Policy.

v. To 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.

vi. To prepare periodic reports on best practice followed in foreign countries.

vii. To highlight anomalies in the present IPR legislations and to advice possible solutions to the Ministry.

viii. To give suggestions on the steps that may be taken for improving infrastructure in IP offices and Tribunals.

ix. To 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.