India unhappy with US at being put under `watch` on patents

New Delhi, Apr 27 (PTI) India has conveyed its "big
disappointment" to the US for retaining New Delhi on the
'Priority Watch List', which binds Washington to exert
pressure on America's trade partners to improve their
copyright and patent regimes.

"It is a big disappointment for us. Why should we be on
the 'Priority Watch List (PWL)' even after the recognition we
have got from the World Intellectual Property Organisation," N
N Prasad, Joint Secretary in the Department of Industrial
Policy & Promotion, told PTI Monday.

Prasad said India has sent its strong reaction to the US.
"Let's wait for the results," he said.

The US Trade Representative (USTR) issues an annual
Special 301 report, which examines in detail the adequacy and
effectiveness of intellectual property rights (IPRs) in
America's trading partners.

Once a country is listed under the PWL, it provides a
basis to the US for a "constructive engagement" with its
trading partners. According to Indian patent experts, this
means exerting diplomatic pressure on a country for improving
its patent regime.

In its latest review, the USTR said, "Large scale
copyright piracy, especially in the software, optical media
and publishing industries continues to be a major problem" in
India.

The USTR in its report has said that the piracy of
copyright material (primarily software, films, popular fiction
and certain textbooks) remains a problem for both US and
Indian producers.

"Costs to the US industry are estimated to be more than
one billion dollar in 2008," the USTR has said.

Commenting on the challenges that India may face on IPR
issues, Prasad said that at international level there is a
need to ensure that India's traditional knowledge is not
misappropriated.

He also said that to modernise and meet manpower
shortages in intellectual property offices, the Government is
aiming to hire 1,380 people in the next three to four years.

In coming years all IPR data would be computerised, he
added. PTI