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The National IPR Policy is one among the many steps yet to come in cementing the future of Intellectual Property on a global scale. It not only calls for creation and innovation from the masses but also provides ways to safeguards such creations and commercialize them to the best interest of such creators and innovators. The policy is a correct blend for attracting foreign investments from different countries. A speedy process for IP registrations also works in the favour of foreign companies which will in turn serve their IP needs in India. This promotes domestic as well as foreign IP filings in the country.

The policy which was unveiled this year alms to foster creativity and growth by promoting science and technology. It also aims to create awareness about IPR as an economic asset.

While unveiling the policy, the government had specifically announced that the policy is in consonance with TRIPS of the World Trade Organization. The NIPR comes with a set of 7 objectives that needs to be undertaken by the identified nodal ministry or department and work towards attaining such objectives. These objectives provide for a wide range of duties, responsibilities and objectives to be performed by the identified ministries in the objectives.

The 7 major objectives are:

1st Objective: IPR Awareness: Outreach and Promotion

2nd Objective: Generation of IPRs

3rd Objective: Legal and Legislative Framework

4th Objective: Administration and Management

5th Objective: Commercialization of IP

6th Objective: Enforcement and Adjudication

7th Objective: Human Capital Development

The NIPR policy comes with the foremost motive of increasing awareness about social, cultural and economic benefits IPR to all sections of the society. It not only stimulates the generation of innovation and creativity but also provides ways to commercialize them. The policy with its slogan "“Creative India: Innovative India”" aims to spread awareness to the maximum people possible so that their knowledge, creativity and innovation does not go to waste. By this people can understand to commercially exploit their own potential and putting it to best possible use for the country and themselves.

Bringing Traditional Knowledge into the field of IPR is a commendable job by the framers of the policy however such traditional knowledge is a rare asset and the access to its database should be restricted to the extent that multinational companies should not make slight variations to it and use it to their own benefit. The need for recognizing the introduction of a sui-generis law for Traditional Knowledge is an important highlight of this policy. By the way of this policy, the ambit of a Traditional Knowledge Digital Library is to be expanded and how it can be used for research and development purposes. However the policy fails to explain details about the ownership of a traditional knowledge.

The government by the way of the NIPR policy aims to use the IPR more towards supporting the less empowered people in the society such as farmers, weavers etc. By doing this, the policy intends to use such rights not just for commercial purpose but also for socio- economic purposes.

Bringing the Copyrights Act and the Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout Design under one roof of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) enhances its commercial efficiency. Every government and other state departments have been asked to create an IPR cell to work in coordination with the DIPP.

Which is true about the National IPR?

A) It calls for creation and innovation from the masses          

B) It provides ways for the commercialization of intellectual creations

C) It is meant to attract foreign investments

D) All the above