DIPP to be the nodal department to deal with copyright protection and IP issues in the country

Issues of copyright have been shifted to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion of the Commerce and Industry Ministry, which will be the nodal department to deal with all issues related to copyright in the country.

This information was given by DIPP joint secretary, Rajiv Aggarwal at a seminar on ‘Managing Copyright in Publishing’ organised by FICCI along with the Department and World Intellectual Property Organisation.

He thanked WIPO and especially DG, Francis Gurry for the support to the Government.

(Copyright has until now been the preserve of the Human Resource Development Ministry and the film, music and television industries have always grudged this as they feel it should be with the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.)

The programme aimed at highlighting the key issues of piracy and counterfeit in publishing was addressed among others by Gurry. The transition to digital devices and new models of content distribution has initiated a rethinking of IP and DRM regimes.

Delivering the keynote address, Gurry emphasised that in the last 20 years, copyright has moved from the periphery to the center of the economic systems. This is not just because of the increased importance of intellectual property in a knowledge economy, but it is a natural consequence of the role of the essential mechanism that governs production, distribution and consumption of knowledge works in a society.

Emphasising India was the first signatory to the Marrakesh Treaty, Gurry highlighted that the treaty will enable national exceptions in copyright across the globe to speak to each other. This is particularly important in publishing. He thanked DIPP and FICCI for the creating the platform to discuss such an important issue.

WIPO ADG, chief of staff in the office of the director general, Naresh Prasad emphasised that copyright is increasingly emerging as a key component of the IP landscape globally. The seminar on copyright in publishing, he said is a very timely intervention of the role that copyright will play in publishing in India. There is an urgent need to focus on enhancing awareness and outreach.

FICCI secretary general, A Didar Singh highlighted the work that FICCI does in the area of copyright, especially it relationship and impact on business in the country. He also informed the audience about the many prorgammes that FICCI does, not only in publishing, but also in counterfeit across sectors and verticals of the economy.

FICCI Publishing Committee co-chair and advisor RELX Group, Rohit Kumar also emphasised that there is a need to educate people on respect for copyright, particularly in content and publishing, since it is the future of business in the country.

The other session of the programme dealt with the issue of economic cost of piracy in Indian publishing, with DIPP joint secretary, G R Raghavender chairing the session. The other panelists on the dais were Lexis Nexis MD, Mohan Ramaswamy, Delhi Deputy Commissioner of Police, M I Haider, and Wiley India MD, Vikas Gupta.

Over 125 professionals from the publishing sector participated in the programme.