Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs): TRIPS Agreement & Indian Laws

The importance of intellectual property rights (IPRs) has increased in recent years in the wake of rapid advancements and proliferation of technology. The Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization (WTO) contains, inter alia, an Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). The TRIPS Agreement, which came into effect on January 1, 1995, is the most comprehensive multilateral agreement on intellectual property. It covers the following areas of intellectual property: (i) copyright and related rights (ie: the rights of performers, producers of sound recordings and broadcasting organisations), (ii) trademarks including service marks, (iii) geographical indications including appellations of origin, (iv) industrial designs, (v) patents including the protection of new varieties of plants, (vi) layout-designs of integrated circuits, (vii) undisclosed information including trade secrets and test data, and (viii) control of anti-competitive practices in contractual licences. This book explains and examines the various aspects of the TRIPS Agreement and the corresponding Indian laws for its implementation.