Delhi High Court celebrates World Intellectual Property Day

Delhi High Court celebrates World Intellectual Property Day

Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi suggests lawyers form a club to make the services available to young innovators

The Delhi High Court recently celebrated World Intellectual Property Day for the first time. Targeted at young IP practitioners, it organized a competitive essay-cum-public speaking event IP-Eloquence.

The theme of the event, announced by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), was IP & Youth: Innovating for a better future.

The Tribunals Reform Committee, IP Division, Delhi High Court led the event, which was chaired by Justice Yashwant Varma, with Justice Prathiba Singh and Justice Sanjeev Narula as its members.

Earlier, about 500 words write-ups were invited from young IP practitioners enrolled with the Bar in or after 2010. The writers of the 10 selected entries were invited to present their works in person at the event. The Delhi High Court received 28 articles on the theme.

While presiding over the event, Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi proposed, "IP lawyers should form a club and make their services available to encourage young innovators. This way, they will not only get work, but it will also be good for the society at large and encourage them and give them value for their innovations."

While Justice Varma delivered the welcome address, Justice Pratibha Singh delivered the address on behalf of the Tribunals Reform Committee and Justice Jyoti Singh delivered the vote of thanks.

Justice Prathiba Singh hoped that World IP Day would from now on be celebrated annually through similar competitions and events with the cooperation of the Bar. She expected the Joint Parliamentary Committee to recommend that following the model of the Delhi High Court all high courts have a dedicated IP division.

She added, "The IP practice is very lucrative. Lawyers can engage in their own Corporate Social Responsibility or legal social responsibility by setting up a cell within their own office and firm and charge only the official fee and subsidize the filings for all the youth and startups in the country. By doing so, we would do our bit for IP and youth in India. It is time that the IP Bar rises and ensures that in the next five years our IP filings do not just grow 10 to 30 percent. The figures should double."

Addressing the gathering, Pravin Anand, the Managing Partner at Anand & Anand informed that World IP Day was also the 81st birthday of Sir Robin Jacob, one of the most vibrant minds in the space of IP.

Highlighting the importance of creativity among the youth, he stated, "Every child can be taught to channelize his creative talents and energy into products, and processes and think creatively. It will not only give them immense joy, but would also increase the resources and reserves of the country. This would, in turn, create enormous wealth and strengthen the economic well-being of our people."

Senior Advocate Chander Lall said, "There is a need for understanding that IP is no different from the hard property. If we wish to succeed as a nation, the only way forward is to fill the stomachs of the hungry. The only way we can do this is through IP recognition and protection. There are several innovators, but they cannot market their innovations, so, we need to create an infrastructure for knowledge. The future belongs to IP."

Shruti Raj Srivastava, an Associate at Fidus Law Chambers was adjudged the winner at the event. Her paper titled 'Protect Your Food' spoke of the innovations in the food industry and the need for their protection through unconventional IP Rights instruments including trade secrets, certification marks and trade dress.

Siddhant Chamola of Anand and Anand Advocates bagged the second place, while Raghav Vig of Zeus IP Advocates stood third.