How IPR Cell at The NorthCap University is making Patent-filing easy

The generation of IP largely takes place at the Universities and academies.  At the same time, valuable IPs at the academies can be generated easily from such research by further modeling it to have industrial applicability. But even after funding and hardships of the researcher, the invention or the conclusion of their work go in vain. The reason being lack of an ecosystem, which can direct the minds of the researchers perpetually towards creating as many IPs from their work as possible. It is in this background, The Centre for Intellectual Property Rights, Advocacy, Research and Training (commonly called IPR Cell) has been inaugurated in 2013 at The NorthCap University as a facilitator in the preparation and filing of patent applications. It has started evolving different IP strategies, policies and ecosystems in terms of effective facilitating services to students and faculties. Also, it imparts clinical training on Patents and other intellectual property rights. Further, this dedicated cell helps to promote awareness on intellectual property rights and to organise special lectures and workshops by professionals from IPR firms. On August 13, 2018 the cell organised workshop on the theme ‘Why Intellectual Property is must for all’ in collaboration with Trademarkclick.com and Latestlaws.com. The workshop focused on how to sell, franchise or license a trademark and how to protect a brand name. Similarly, on October 5, 2019 the workshop  was organised on the theme 'Emerging Contemporary issues under Copyright Law: National and International Perspectives'. The workshop dealt with recent issues relating to Copyright law under Beijing Treaty on audio-visual performances and the Marrakesh Treaty to facilitate access to published works to visually impaired persons and persons with print disabilities.  Also, on January 24, 2019 the workshop was organised on the theme “Changing Paradigm of IPR in India”. In the training session, importance, requirement and need of IPR with special focus on patent in the contemporary world were highlighted. The participants were made acquainted with pre-requisites of the patent before the filing of Patent applications.

Further, on September 30, 2019 the workshop was organised on ‘Basic Criteria of Patent and Requirements of Patentability and Inventive step’.  The workshop was for the people  having a management background. The expert also threw some light on how startups can be funded through venture capitalist and angel investors.

Moreover, on September 23, 2019 expert lecture was organised in association with Kashyap partners and Associates on ‘Liability of Online Market Places in Intellectual Property Right’ for the students and faculty of NCU. The lecture dealt with the recent developments on IPR with the negative and positive effects of technology on IPR. Moreover, live practical examples were demonstrated, where a comparative analysis was made between the US and India IPR laws.

Besides it, the cell has organised a number of awareness sessions on IPR at different schools and NGO’s such as on May 2, 2019 at Delhi Public School in Ghaziabad, Palam Vihar for the students of XI and XII on the title 'Intellectual Property Rights: Boon or Bane', Similarly, an awareness session was organised on December 2, 2019 at the NGO named ‘Humana People to People India’ and at Arya Vidya Mandir School, Sector 7, Gurugram for students of class XII. The IPR cell will continue to work in the same manner in the near future.

About the author:

Unanza Gulzar is an Assistant Professor at The NorthCap University. She has done LLB and LLM from the University of Kashmir specialising in Business laws. She is currently pursuing PhD from Jamia Milia. She has to her credit a Book on “Money Laundering in India: Legal Perspective”. She has published over 21 research papers in various national and international reputed law journals.

Note: The views expressed in this article are solely author’s own and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha