Commerce Ministry wants an external office of WIPO in India

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry wants the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to set up an external office of WIPO in India. WIPO is one of the 17 specialised agencies of the United Nations (UN) created to encourage creative activity and promote the protection of intellectual property (IP) throughout the world.

Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce & Industry Minister, during her recent meeting with Francis Gurry, the director general, WIPO, said that it would be in the interest of WIPO as also global IP regime to have an external office of WIPO in the country. India has already submitted a formal proposal in this regard and is ready to offer free of cost premises for opening of an external office.

WIPO’s network of external offices forms an integral part of the organisation designed to bring its services and cooperation closer to its member states, stakeholders and partners. These offices provide cost-effective support services in relation to the PCT, Madrid & Hague systems; arbitration & mediation; collective management; and development & capacity building. At present, WIPO has five external offices globally located at Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Beijing (China), Tokyo (Japan), Moscow (Russia) and Singapore.

During the meeting, Nirmala Sitharaman and Francis Gurry also held discussions on various multilateral internet treaties like WPPT & WCT, and changes required in the methodology of calculating Global Innovation Index (GII). Both sides felt that the parameters should be reflective of the needs & conditions existing in developing nations.

Meanwhile, as per recently released GII 2016 report, India’s has dramatically improved its ranking to 66 from 81 last year, a huge jump of 15 places. To spur an innovative eco-system across the country, the ministry was proposed that states should be ranked on a similar basis and India has requested WIPO to undertake this study. 

WIPO and the Indian IP office are co-operating with each other in training of various IP examiners and other stakeholders. To this end, an international training course will be organised in RGNIIPM jointly with WIPO Academy in September 2016. India has also requested WIPO to consider opening a regional training academy in Nagpur. 

The Commerce Minister has also announced setting up of a task force on innovation to come up with suggestions and new ideas on best way forward in inculcating an innovative temperament in the country.