Intellectual property right policy
REPORT ON Date: 01-06-2008

Government has adopted an intellectual property right policy that will enable the State to protect her traditional knowledge and the inventions made by the people of the State. In the era of globalisation, Kerala will be the first State in the country to come forward to formulate such a policy.

A supervisory council has been constituted with the Chief Minister as Chairman and Law Minister as Vice Chairman to oversee and protect intellectual property rights. The council is an autonomous body consisting of ministers and scientists and other experts in this field. The council will take necessary legal measures to examine the violations of intellectual property rights and the agreements made in this regard and to help individuals who are affected or likely to be affected by such violations.

If foreign citizens want to avail the biomaterials or knowledge related to those materials they should avail advance permission from the State Bio-Diversity Board. The Board will ensure that traditional knowledge and inventions based on them and further developments made on them are confined to the people who are related to and responsible for it. Details about bio resources related with traditional knowledge will be codified and kept separately in the patent office. They can be made available to others only with the concurrence of the Board. Permission of Board is essential for all practitioners of the knowledge except the traditional practitioners to carry on trade in bio resources. Board has the power to initiate legal action against those who break agreements in regard to intellectual property rights. Board is taking steps to examine applications for patent and to give help for availing patent. Steps will be taken to bring control on research out sourcing

An IPR policy for Keralam
REPORT ON Date: 23-04-2008

In the workshop on Intellectual Property Rights, Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan said Kerala cannot simply remain idle appealing to the centre to take some initiative in protecting the Knowledge developed by us being arrogated by monopoly companies for profiteering. Kerala’s traditional knowledge in the field of Ayurveda, Astronomy, Architecture etc are unique and the possibility of multinationals snatching away that knowledge depriving the real owners of these knowledge the right to derive a livelihood. The Kerala Government’s position is that there should be a judicious distribution of the fruits of Knowledge to all. So the Government has drafted its “Intellectual Property Rights” policy opening up the conceptual, legal and structural aspects of this policy for discussion. Its high time the State Government took its position on this vital matter.

>> Speech by Chiefminister on a workshop