United World

The Conference for protection and enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights was the first of its kind in the North-Eastern region and was graced by the esteemed presence of the prominent dignitaries and luminaries. As they shared their experiences in one of the most volatile regions of the country, they enlightened the attendees with their following views on the IPR regime in India:

a) Mr. Jayanto N. Choudhury (Director General of Police, Assam) – The Hon’ble DGP highlighted the importance of educating everyone on the knowledge of Trademarks, Copyrights and Patents infringements. He stated that, due to the technology boom, piracy has become very easy and counterfeiters have become increasingly smart. However, due to the lack of expertise and incremental improvement in technology, it has become very difficult for the general public to identify the original product and distinguish it from the counterfeit one. He said that, “State Police is working on it, but we have a long way to go”.

b) Mr. Mukesh Sahay (Additional Director General of Police) – The Hon’ble ADGP mentioned the vitality of a collective effort from not only the enforcement machinery, but also the industry and most importantly the public at large. In the Indian scenario, there have been various instances where not only the buyer/ultimate consumer, but also the seller of goods is not aware of his dealing in fake goods and of the gravity of the offence committed. He stressed that educating the consumers along-with people from the market and trade associations is something that cannot be overlooked.

c) Ms T. Jamir (Deputy Commissioner of Customs) – The learned Deputy Commissioner, while discussing the crucial role of Customs in curbing the menace of counterfeiting, emphasized the importance of stopping the goods at the borders and prevent them from entering the country. She said that, “The Custom Laws are now well in place, but are still at their nascent stage. With the enactment of the Intellectual Property Rights (Imported Goods) Enforcement Rules, 2007, the Custom Authorities have been vested with necessary powers to nail the counterfeiters. Such workshops are extremely important to sensitize the Custom officers in acting against the counterfeiters.” She also highlighted the social and moral issues associated with counterfeit activities.

The conference was attended by people from all spheres, including the enforcement and investigative agencies, vis-à-vis, Police and Custom personnel, as well as officials from the industry and learned members from the Bar.

The conference aptly brought out the product identification instances of various participating brands such as L’Oreal, LACOSTE, Polo Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, WD-40 and RayBan.
The conference was widely covered by the print as well as digital media and was published in newspapers including The Times of India, The Sentinel Assam, Seven Sisters Post, The Telegraph and others.