MPHC & MPSJA Colloquium: ‘Intellectual Property Rights Encourage Creativity, Innovation,’ Says SC Justice Jitendra Maheshwari

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The two-day colloquium on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) commenced at the Brilliant Convention Centre on Saturday. The event was organised by the High Court of Madhya Pradesh in collaboration with Madhya Pradesh State Judicial Academy, focusing on issues related to intellectual property rights and covering a range of topics critical to modern judiciary.

The event began with chief guests, CM Mohan Yadav and Supreme Court Justice Jitendra Kumar Maheshwari, lighting the ceremonial lamp before Goddess Saraswati. CM Mohan Yadav said, ‘As head of the government, we will stand alongside the judicial system and do whatever necessary to tackle future challenges in the context of intellectual property law.’

He added, ‘I would like to thank PM Modi because for the first time in 2016, he introduced a policy for intellectual property that has guided us.’ Justice Jitendra Kumar Maheshwari highlighted the challenges regarding intellectual property rights. He said, ‘Globalisation, cross-border issues, artificial intelligence, online piracy and counterfeiting are some of the major challenges.’

He said that ideas are meant to flow freely and IPR encourages creativity and innovation. IPR ensures and protects rights of creators and innovators by ensuring that their ideas and creations are not stolen or used without authorisation. He said that there were 90k patent applications and 4.66 lakh trademark registrations in 2023.

Other notable speakers were Gauri Kumar, representative officer for South Asia at INTA, Sarah Roberts Favell, Deputy Director of International Policy at the UK Intellectual Property Office and Prashant Singh, Advocate General of Madhya Pradesh.

Justice Sharma elaborates on possibilities, challenges of IPR

Supreme Court Justice Satish Chandra Sharma elaborately threw light on possibilities and challenges of intellectual property rights. The enforcement of IPRs is posing fresh challenges and curious outlook is expected from the judicial system to meet the challenge. In modern world, the intellectual property rights are being exploited in the digital space in more ways than we could imagine. The introduction of artificial intelligence has aggravated the line between fiction and reality. The usage of world like virtual reality is itself an indicator of where we are heading. It is essential to circumscribe the use of technology with bounds of law.

+Box – With Pic – Justice Suresh Kumar Kait Caption – Justice Suresh Kumar Kait, Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court

India ranks 40th out of 53 countries in globalinnovation index

Justice Suresh Kumar Kait, Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court said, IPR refers to creation of mind. Protecting these creations through idea is essential. Not only to reward invention and creators but also to foster an environment which encourages more innovation. India, despite its intellectual heritage, ranks relatively low in the global innovation index. According to a recent report, India was ranked 40th out of 53 countries in global innovation index.

This is a critical issue the legal system must address. Why is intellectual property so important? It is because ideas, when adequately protected, a few innovations in addition to patents, trademarks play a vital role in protecting the economy and identity of business. With the growth of digital economy, copyright law has become increasingly significant in managing challenges posed by online imprisonment and the issues of content across digital platforms.

‘Intellectual Property Rights backbone of modern commerce’

Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, Administrative Judge of Madhya Pradesh High Court said, ‘Intellectual property rights form the very backbone of modern commerce. Yet the complexities of IPR pose significant challenges. IPR protection encourages creators to invest in research and development. In today’s knowledge-based economy, IPR has become a critical component of national competitiveness.”

Justice Dharmadhikari gives welcome speech

Justice Dharmadhikari gave the welcome speech and gave information about various sessions to be organised in the two-day programme. He said that this marks the first workshop on the subject that has increasingly become a key area of litigation in our state.