SpicyIP Tidbits: Interpol to Step in to Protect IPR

Tightening the noose on counterfeiting of goods for protection of IPR, a Database on International Intellectual property (DIIP) was launched at a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) forum in Mumbai, as part of a joint initiative by the Interpol and the US Chamber of Commerce. Laying emphasis on the importance of protection of IPR in countries like India and China, Ron Noble, secretary general of Interpol and David Chavern, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the U S Chamber of Commerce felt that:

“With India graduating to a worldclass innovator, protection of IPR has become all the more important”

According to Mr.Chavern, DIIP would prove to be useful in identifying links between criminal groups during investigations and also in production of global strategic reports. An article from the TOI states that one of the key functions of DIIP will be to maintain reliable data on the scale of counterfeiting and piracy to determine the nature of crimes against brand and copyright integrity In fact, trade bodies from 50 countries are already cooperating with Interpol in this endeavour. In the six months of its existence, the database reportedly has details of 5000 entities and 500 cases are already under investigation. May be it is time that India evolved a policy on the lines of the Economic Espionage Act, 1996 of the US.