Country Reports October 2012

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 Country: INDIAPeriod of Report: October 2012
  1. The Union Cabinet had approved the ratification of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing, which India had signed on 11 May 2011.
  2. The Copyright (Amendment) Act 2012 has come into force after the official government notification on June 12, 2012. The Ministry of Human Resource Development has also framed the draft Copyright Amendments Rules, 2012. The draft rules are currently being discussed with all stakeholders and copyright experts.
  3. Notification of Trade Marks Draft Rules 2012 was published in the Gazette of India dated 25 August 2012. This would bring forth the long awaited introduction of Madrid applications.
  4. On 21 July 2012, the National Institute of Intellectual Property Management (NIIPM), Nagpur was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Union Minister of Commerce, Industry and Textiles.
  5. The Indian Patent Office (IPO) has in coordination with International Bureau (IB) of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), acquired online access to PCT International Applications and related documents available with the IB, in order to simplify the process of filing of PCT National Phase Applications. An Applicant will no longer be required to file multiple copies of documents already available with the IB.
  6. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) has set up a sectoral council to prepare national intellectual property rights strategy with a view to incentivize innovation.
  7. The 2012 International Property Rights Index (IPRI), an annual international comparative study that measures physical and intellectual property rights and their protection around the world has ranked India in the 62nd place among 130 countries.
Country: PAKISTANPeriod of Report: October 2012
  1. The Intellectual Property Office of Pakistan and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority have launched an initiative in April 2012 to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in their use of the Intellectual Property (IP) system. The initiative involves the establishment of a number of IP Facilitation Desks around the country to provide companies with the facilities and information required to protect IP.
  2. The 2012 International Property Rights Index (IPRI) has ranked Pakistan in the 113th place among 130 countries.
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Country: NEPALPeriod of Report: October 2012
  1. The 2012 International Property Rights Index (IPRI) has ranked Nepal in the 102nd place among 130 countries.
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Country: SRI LANKAPeriod of Report: October 2012
  1. The Sri Lankan Supreme Court issued a landmark judgment sustaining the provisions of Intellectual property (IP) laws by permitting parallel imports. In the landmark order, the Supreme Court suspended several injunctions granted by the Commercial High Court of Colombo in favour of Hewlett Packard against Techzone restraining from importing of genuine HP products through alternative sources.
  2. WIPO Regional Forum on Intellectual Property (IP) and Environmentally Sound Technologies (ESTs), and WIPO-SAARC Roundtable on Sub-Regional Cooperation on the use of IP for Development and Acquisition of EST’s, was held in Sri Lanka from May 29 to May 31, 2012. The meetings discussed the relationship between Intellectual Property and ESTs particularly in the context of the need of developing countries.
  3. The 2012 International Property Rights Index (IPRI) has ranked Sri Lanka in the 76th place among 130 countries.
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Country: BANGLADESHPeriod of Report: October 2012
  1. The government has drafted Geographical Indication (GI) Act to protect ownership of products that are traditionally characterized by their geographic origin. The draft law is currently under examination.
  2. The 2012 International Property Rights Index (IPRI) has ranked Bangladesh in the 125th place among 130 countries.