Issues in Asset Protection
Issues in Asset Protection
Issues in Asset Protection
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MNC’s are spending high in terms of
time & money for R&D….Innovations
MNC’s operates at different nations with
different rules & regulations, which
creates uncertainity….
Poor IPR may lead to financial losses to
firm
WTO ensure Asset protection through
TRIPS
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Introduction
Brief history of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)
Intellectual property rights are the rights given to
persons over the creations of their minds. They usually
give the creator an exclusive right over the use of
his/her creation for a certain period of time
Linkage between Intellectual Property (IP) and trade:
broadly through following two premises:
(I) Widespread piracy, counterfeiting and infringements
of intellectual property rights constituted a barrier to
trade
(II) IPRs transfer agreements
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Objectives
To reduce distortions and impediments to international
trade and take into account the need to promote competent
as well as adequate protection of IPRs
To ensure that measures and procedures to enforce IPRs do
not themselves become barriers to legitimate trade
To reduce tensions by reaching strengthened commitment
to resolve disputes on trade-related IP issues through
multilateral procedures
To establish a mutually supportive relationship between
the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and World
Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)
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Basic principles: national treatment, MFN and
balanced protection
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Relationship between TRIPS agreement
(Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of
Intellectual Property Rights) and other IP treaties
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Acquisition and maintenance of IP
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Types of IPRs:
Copyright and related rights
Copyright grants exclusive rights to the creator of
original scientific, artistic and literary works
‘Original’ is key in defining a work that qualifies for
copyright protection
The term of protection
Countries to confine limitations or exceptions to
exclusive rights to certain special cases which do not
conflict with exploitation of the work and not prejudicial
to right holder
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Trademark
Trademark protects any word, name, logo or device used
to identify, distinguish or indicate the source of goods or
services
Includes trade dress (the total image and overall
appearance of a product) and product configuration (the
shape if non functional)
The purpose is to safeguard the integrity of products and
to prevent product confusion and unfair competition
The term of protection (initial registration and each
renewal of registration of a trademark shall be for a term
of no less than 7 years)
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Geographical Indications (GIs)
The WTO Agreement on Trade-Related
Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights
("TRIPS") defines "geographical
indications" as indications that identify a
good as "originating in the territory of a
Member, or a region or locality in that
territory, where a given quality, reputation or
other characteristic of the good is ...
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In addition, the qualities, characteristics or
reputation of the product should be
essentially due to the place of origin. ...
Geographical indications are typically
used for agricultural products, foodstuffs,
wine and spirit drinks, handicrafts, and
industrial products
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There are also products which have two
geographical indications, one for the
name and another for the logo.
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Industrial designs
An industrial design right is an intellectual property
right that protects the visual design of objects that are not
purely utilitarian. ... An industrial design can be a two- or
three-dimensional pattern used to produce a product,
industrial commodity or handicraft.
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Layout-designs of integrated circuits and trade
secrets
It refers to mask works (topographies) of the integrated
circuits, the stencils used to etch or encode an electrical
circuit on a semiconductor chip
Protection conferred to “original” layout-
design/topographies
Exclusive rights include the right of reproduction and
the right of importation, sale and other distribution for
commercial purposes
The term of protection (ten years form the date of first
commercial exploitation)
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Protection of undisclosed information
The protection must apply to information that is secret,
that has commercial value because it is secret and that has
been subject to reasonable steps to keep it secret
Trade secrets consist of formulae, patterns, process or
compilation of information. (for example the formula for a
sports drink)
In most countries, they are not subject to registration but
are protected through laws against unfair competition
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Exhaustion of IPR
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Main feature of the agreement
Standards: The agreement expresses minimum standards of
protection
(I) The subject matter to be protected
(II) The rights to be conferred and permissible exceptions
(III) The minimum period of protection
Enforcement
(I) Provisions for domestic procedure and remedies for the
enforcement of the IPRs
(II) Includes general principle applicable to IPR enforcement
procedure apart from administrative, civil and criminal
procedure available for enforcement of rights of the right
holder
Dispute settlement: The agreement further provides for the
settlement of disputes over IPR among the member states within the
parameters of dispute settlement procedure
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Institutional arrangements
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Public policy implications
Benefits and costs of higher IP standards for developing
countries
Protection of traditional knowledge and culture
Biological diversity
Health
Food
Investment and transfer of technology
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Provisions relating to developing countries
Transitional arrangements
Developed countries to provide
(I) Incentives for transfer of technology to Least
Developed Countries (LDCs)
(II) Technical assistance and financial support to
developing countries in preparing laws and
regulations on protection and enforcements of IPRs
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Conclusion
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