December 21, 2005
Optical Disc Law
There is news of a proposed Optical Disc law that seems to be geared at preventing piracy in the entertainment sector (which apparently amounts to 1200 crores annually). I hope this does not the announce the backdoor entry into the Indian legal system of anti-circumvention law on the lines of the much maligned DMCA
Book Piracy
From the begining of this year the Delhi Police has apparently recorded 15 cases of pirated books under which 58,027 pirated books, 18,900 pirated printed pages and other documents have been recovered and 33 persons arrested.
December 8, 2005
India’s 30 Million Page TK Encyclopedia
According to several news reports, Indian doctors and scientists have been beavering away at creating a 30 million page electronic encyclopedia of traditional knowledge culled from various ancient texts. The project, estimated at roughly $2 million of spend will produce the encyclopedia in 5 languages – English, French, German, Japanese and Spanish – and is aimed at being India’s ultimate defence against bio-piracy.
December 6, 2005
Indian Drug Companies Oppose MNC Pharma Patents
Now that the new Indian Patent Act allows for pre- as well as post-grant opposition Indian drug companies are lining up to oppose patents that multi-national companies are filing in India. It will be some time before we can see how the Indian patent office deals with these oppositions but everyone will be watching to see what shape the new rules on patentability (particularly novelty) will take. Remember that the Patent Controller must give the person opposing the patent a hearing though he is not bound to agree with the logic presented.
December 1, 2005
Litigation Financing
Many Indian inventors shy away from registering their patents because of the cost and effort involved – not just the cost of filing the patent but also the cost of policing infringement and of the consequent lawsuit. Most patent lawsuits in the US cost upwards of a million dollars US from start to finish – a sum most Indian companies are very reluctant to gamble on a half chance of victory.
But what if there is a way to finance this litigation. Oasis Capital has made a business model out of this opportunity and should they turn their attentions towards India they are sure to find several takers.
