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Govt to set up panel for consensus on IPR

The Union government on Tuesday announced that it would set up an expert body to evolve a national consensus on a comprehensive approach to Intellectual Property Rights and related issues to ensure that the interest of the nation was safeguarded.

The decision to set up an expert body was taken at a meeting between government representatives and members of the Forum of Parliamentarians on Intellectual Property Rights. The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral, was called with a view to build a consensus on various issues related to patents.

However, various members expressed divergent views and, according to sources, no consensus was reached on various points.

Controversy has dogged the issue of patents and intellectual rights for the past many years. Even a bill introduced by the government for amending the existing patents or intellectual rights was defeated in Parliament.

The government was also under pressure as the disputed settlement panel of the World Trade Organisation has said that India had failed to comply with certain requirements of the Trade-Related Intellectual Properties Rights agreement.

Several rounds of meetings had been held earlier between the government and various organisations, but no final views had emerged so far.

Ministers Murasoli Maran of industry, Jaipal Reddy of information and broadcasting, B B Ramiah of commerce, and Y K Alagh of power, besides the attorney general, represented the government.

UNI