Indian IPR regime on the Internet soon

Small US companies looking at investing in India will soon have access to a web-based toolkit that will give details of the intellectual property rights regime in India.

"The tool will benefit small companies in the US which are less aware of the IPR regime in India. The companies which are interested in India will be able to make a better choice," said Chris Israel, US coordinator for international intellectual property enforcement.

The toolkit, being developed by the American embassy and the US commerce and state departments, will provide information on trademark, patent and copyright law in India.

It is likely to be available on the embassy's website by the end of 2006. China, Russia and Mexico are some of the other countries which have country-specific IPR toolkits.

Israel, on a week-long visit here to bolster a stronger IPR regime in India, said the US government was preparing a paper on capacity building for the Indian government.

The paper, which will include joint training programmes for judges, Customs officials and patent examiners, will be handed over to the Indian government by the end of 2006.

"The idea is to work with private industry, lawyers and Customs officials and educate them on IPR issues that concern us," Israel said. The US government had recently mooted the idea of Customs officials stopping pirated goods from entering the country.

The proposal, however, was found unviable.