Copyright 101 by Microsoft.

/ By / Copyright

I came across a very angst ridden article on Microsoft’s new IP curriculum. The full text of the article can be found here. Basically the author seems upset about the attempts of Microsoft to brainwash children with an education program relating to copyright protection. The awareness program is based on the premise that if kids knew about the criminal repercussions and law relating to copyright infringement they would be less likely to indulge in it. Fair enough I guess but […]

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GIs, TRADITIONAL HANDICRAFTS AND INCENTIVES FOR INDIVIDUAL INNOVATIONS

/ By / Copyright, Design

A lot has been said about Geographical Indications (GIs) and there effectiveness in securing community rights, some may call them Brand rights, in a community’s collective heritage and to protect consumer interests as well. But do GIs accrue any benefit or recognition to an individual from the community, who has made a particularly notable improvement to an existing product, say traditional handicrafts, on which GIs exist?  In other words, do GIs preclude simultaneous existence of individual Intellectual Property Rights in

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SpicyIP Scholarship: IP and the Transformation of Generic Supply

/ By / Patent

1. IP and the Transformation of Generic Supply: In an outstanding article, Ken Shadlen examines the relationship between intellectual property (IP) and public health, with a focus on the extension of AIDS treatment in the developing world. It’s titled “The Political Economy of AIDS Treatment: Intellectual Property and the Transformation of Generic Supply” and the citation is “International Studies Quarterly 51 (September 2007), pp. 559-581”. I reproduce the abstract below: “While most of the literature on IP and health examines

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Are Indian Software Firms Innovative?

/ By / Innovation

SpicyIP has, in the past, lamented about the dearth of innovative products from Indian software firms. And our previous posts queried as to why Indian IT majors never really made the transition from “services” to “products”. In an excellent article, one of my favourite economists, Ashish Arora argues: “…many of the leading Indian firms have tried to develop products, with limited success. The lack of success ought not to surprise anyone. Penny pinching and risk averse management habits ingrained while

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Spicy Tidbit: The words "Indian" and "National" to be used only by government institutions

/ By / Uncategorized

The All India Council of Technical Education has come up with the condition that private institutions may no longer use the words “Indian” or “National” in their names any longer. Many institutions have gotten their signboards re-painted to comply with this directive fearing derecognition as a consequence. The Times of India has reported this as a copyright issue though it concerns the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act which doesn’t prohibit the use of these words. The problems

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SpicyIP Tidbit: Apple to enter the gaming market???

/ By / Patent

Though this might take a while to enter the Indian scene, gaming fans across the world are all set to welcome Apple into the gaming foray! The recent trademark application requests protection of the trademark “APPLE” against products that classify as “toys, games and playthings, namely, hand-held units for playing electronic games; hand-held units for playing video games; stand alone video game machines; electronic games other than those adapted for use with television receivers only; LCD game machines; electronic educational

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SpicyIP Tidbit: Technology Transfer Group-IIT Kharagpur

/ By / Uncategorized

The students of IIT Kharagpur have launched an initiative called the Technology Transfer Group (TTG) in collaboration with the Sponsored Research and Industrial Consultancy Cell (SRIC) of IIT Kharagpur to create a comprehensive database of all the research initiatives undertaken by the students and faculty of the Institute and to ultimately ensure that the technologies developed are commercialised. Special emphasis is being laid on IP protection to such technologies thanks to the involvement of the Institute’s department of Law, the

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India Pakistan and IP

/ By / Uncategorized

India and Pakistan are battling over India’s attempts to get GI protection for Pashmina. Kashmir’s pashmina is different from its Australian variant but the problem is that over the years it has started being produced in India, Pakistan, Nepal and China. Apart from this the GI application is being opposed by Pakistan as it wants its Pashmina to also be given protection. The Kashmiri industry feels that the Pakistani product is not of the same quality. Kashmir boasts of producing

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SpicyIP Event

/ By / Uncategorized

Mock Trial at Delhi University Under the aegis of the 5th India Project Intellectual Property Rights Summit jointly organised by George Washington University Law School (GWU Law), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO), a mock trial is scheduled to be held on 25th February, 2008 in the Convention Hall at Delhi University. The Summit itself will be held from 24th February- 1st March 2008. The past editions of this Summit have boasted of the who’s-who

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Mr. Augustine and his patented ‘tender coconut wine’

/ By / Patent

‘God’s own country’ – Kerala gives us yet another product to relax and soothe those frayed nerves of yours. ‘Tender coconut wine’ made from ‘tender coconut water’ was granted patent (No. 209015) on Aug 16 last year by the Indian Patent Office. (My many thanks to Shamnad our man from Mallu land for directing me to this story.) The patent is in the name of Sebastian P. Augustine a farmer, from Kalsgrod Districtin Kerala, who has won the won the

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