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IPAB says has no money to pay rent

The tribunal informs the Madras HC that it is facing acute fund crunch

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Gireesh Babu Chennai
The Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) has informed the Madras High Court that it is facing acute fund crunch and doesn't even have the money to pay rent for its office space. Its rent allocation for the current financial year, Rs 14 lakh, will suffice only for seven months, said IPAB Chairman Prabha Sridevan, in a report to the court.

The report was submitted in response to a public interest suit filed by Shamnad Basheer, a patent law expert and professor of National University of Juridical Sciences, challenging the constitutionality of the IPAB.

The financial requirements for IPAB's circuit sittings in other cities are also not met on time, making it tough for the tribunal to hold more sittings in other cities, the report added.
 

The court had ordered that IPAB be allowed space in Ticel Bio Park Phase II, and the commerce ministry approved the proposal for occupation of space of 13,204 sq ft (carpet area) in Ticel Bio Park Phase - II.

While the IPAB is yet to take possession of the property as the construction is still on, the monthly rent for this would be around Rs 9 lakh and the allocation would not be sufficient for even two months' rent, said the report.

The IPAB requires funds mainly for domestic travel expenses and office expenses. For domestic travel expenses, Rs 32 lakh was allocated against Rs 75 lakh projected by the Board. On the other hand, for office expenses, IPAB had wanted Rs 1.20 crore but Rs 31.80 lakh was given. The allocation of funds for FY14 is almost the same as that of FY13.

Basheer filed the suit alleging that a tribunal cannot be a subordinate body under a government department (DIPP). "It is terribly embarrassing for us as a country, at a time when the whole world is looking to us for IP (intellectual property) norms. Nobody is speaking about the fact that one of the decision-making authorities is completely under-resourced and under-staffed. We have made a complete mockery of our main IP dispute resolution body, namely the tribunal," said Basheer.

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First Published: May 10 2013 | 12:18 AM IST

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