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Friday, February 27, 2009

Intellectual Property Rights [IPR] as Career

WHAT IS IPR?

IPR is “INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS”.

These are legal rights which are granted for creation of the minds.

If you have created something eg:song,poem or a book or even a new invention in biotechnology which has a commercial application or value,you are entitled to get rights for it.





THE WORD PROPERTY

Intellectual property or creation of mind or intellectual are like property that have commercial value.

They can be bought and sold just like conventional property.

Since IPR can be bought and sold just like property,we use the term “intellectual property”

WHAT IS THE NEED FOR IPR?

IPR are needed to reward original effort.

The main concept behind all forms of IP,be it patents or copyright or industrial design etc is that the person who has put in original effort must have rights over his creation and must get rewarded for it.

He must not be cheated.

Thus IPR lead to progress and development by ensuring rights and regulations for people who put in original effort.

BRIEF HISTORY

The first intellectual property law was passed in VENICE in 1474 which protected the investor’s interest against copying of their creation.

England soon followed the suit to grant intellectual property rights to its inventor for a limited period.

With increase in international trade intellectual property theft was on the rise.

This led the birth of Paris Convention.

CATEGORIES OF IP

Intellectual property can be broadly divided into two categories.

  • Copyright.
  • Industrial property.
IP TRAINING

International law schools:
  • George Washington University
  • Franklin Pierce Law Centre
  • Columbia University
  • Stanford University
  • New York University
In india:
  • National Law School
  • National University Of Juridical Science
  • Symbiosis Institute 
Online Resources
  • Online courses by WIPO:http://academy.wipo int
  • Basic information about IPR: www.patentmatics.org and www.ipindai.nic.in 

JOB PROSPECT

IPR attorneys are integral part of in-house teams of buiseness organizations formed with the sole aim of identifying and stopping copyright infringements.

IPR attorneys are also being actively employed by a whole range of organizations like Specialty Law Firms,Government and self supported think tanks,Law Enforcing Bodies and Universities.

LAW FIRMS

Most of the law firms especially in developed and emerging economics like the US,India and China has specilaised divisions that cater to litigations concerning of infringement of intellectual properties.

In US there are law firms that specialize in intellectual property law.

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND THINK TANK

These are one of the prolific employes of IPR attorneys.

One of the most obvious agencies is the patent and copyright office of any country.

Other departments that employ IP attorneys are defence,information technology,justice and commerce.

UNIVERSITIES AND RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS

Universities take up projects.

These projects involve various technologies.

Thus various universities have an in-house of IPR lawyers that protect their interests.

IPR JOBS IN INDIA
  • Kirloskar Brothers Limited.
  • Maha India.
  • Robert Bosch Engineering.
  • General Physics Corporation
  • Harbinger Systems.
  • Heaque Creations.
  • United Health Group.
IMPORTANCE OF IPR LAW FOR A BIOTECHNOLOGIST

The category for IPRs most important for researchers is patents.

Knowledge of IPRs is important for researchers in many ways.

Prevents duplication of work.

Helps researchers to focus on commercially relevant research.

Prevents exploitation of workers.

Helps in revenue generation.

Prevents infringements and helps avoid litigation.

DOES ONE NEED A LEGAL BACKGROUND FOR MAKING USE OF IPRs?

No, one Required to have fundamentals cleared.

Whether the work your doing is really original.

Is it infringing upon somebody’s rights or not?

What is the global technology status of the research work your about to start?

Whether what you have achieved in the lab is patentable or not?

You need assistance of lawyers and legal experts.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR BIOTECHNOLOGISTS

Knowledge of IPR is important for biotech industries and teaching institutes.

Basic courses of WIPO:-preference in interviews and placements.

Sought by patent attorney firms and consultancy firms.

R and D production.

HOW IT HELPS IN R & D

Networking with R & D people and finding out whether their work is patentable or not.
Identifying technological advances of relevance to your industry vide regular monitoring.

Search patent database.

Guiding your R & D colleagues.

Indentification of new and emerging technologies.

HOW IT HELPS IN ATTORNEY FIRMS

Filing of biotechnology patents requires a sound technical knowledge.

Thus most firms are hiring M.Sc/Phd candidates having biotechnology background.

IPR AND TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENTS

Patents filed and not commercialized are a tremendous loss of time ,money and effort.

Once rights over the work are created, inventors can freely contact and interact with industry professionals,disclosing details of their work without any fear that their work will be copied.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT

Demand in abroad.

Hybrid degrees.

It’s a different career.

Some Facts IPR

It’s a broad field.

Most important legal field in United States.

Most demanded specialty of intellectual property law is patent law.

This is because they are few and the demand is more.

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