NEW DELHI - The Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced that its Union Minister Shri Kamal Nath and the Federal Councillor at the Department of Economic Affairs of the Swiss Confederation Doris Leuthard, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs).
According to a press release by the Indian Press Information Bureau, the MoU would foster the protection and promotion of IPRs between the two countries. The implementation of this Memorandum will be jointly by the Indian Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion under the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property.
According to the MoU, a joint committee will be set up to develop a dialogue on IP that will encompass:
• Exchange of views, information and experiences regarding the protection of IP at the national level, furthermore, creating a dialogue related to international issues concerning IP.
• Serve as a forum for consultations to address specific issues in the area of IP in the bilateral relations of the parties.
• Development of continued institutional cooperation for regular technical exchanges between IP institutes in the two countries.
• Exchange of experiences between India and Switzerland in training on IP and development of appropriate modules and curricula for such training and introduce joint studies on specific IP issues.
• Exchange of experiences and best practices regarding the raising of public awareness on the role of IPRs.
• Discuss strategies aimed at preventing the manufacture, distribution, sale and consumption of counterfeit and pirated products as well as at raising public awareness of the damages caused by counterfeit and pirated products.
• Exchange of experience and dialogue on cooperation in the areas of protection of geographical indications and traditional knowledge.
• Both sides agreed that the joint committee would meet once a year in India or Switzerland alternately.