KIHT attracts IPR enthusiasts across India at its workshop

New Delhi: The Kalam Institute of Health Technology (KIHT), a Society supported by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, conducted a two-day workshop during 2nd and 3rd August 2018 on Intellectual Property Right (IPR) for biomedical engineers.

Nearly 100 participants from various parts of the country took part in the workshop held at Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ) – India’s first medical device park at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.

The IPR awareness is an evolving subject and India is gearing up to tackle the challenges of modern economic world by strengthening the legal system in the country to protect its intellectual abilities and the country need to reduce over dependence on imports in critical sectors.

The gamut of subjects discussed in the workshop covered topics like licensing of IPR, including areas of cross-licensing, transfer rights, as also impact of non-use on the medical technology sector. The speakers in the workshop highlighted the implications and remedial action relating to infringement of IPRs by competitors, and the need for constant vigil needed by patent holders of property to ward off any threat of any infringement which can cause later serious harm to the original innovator. The discussions also veered around trademarks, industrial design knowledge, strategizing IP as an organisation tool etc.

The IPR program at KIHT was done in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Novel Patent Services (NPS) was the knowledge partner for the event. Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University (DSNLU) supported the organisers and their faculty supported the cause by participating as speakers.

The workshop comprehensively covered the essential elements of IPR pertaining to needs of Biomedical engineers and also their preparedness for associating legal knowledge with innovations and technology. The Speakers at the workshop emphasised the need for having the right perspective on evolving trends in IPR so they such professionals can aid their organizations in protecting and utilising the innovations.

The initiative by KIHT was widely applauded by the Bio Medical professional’s fraternity as KIHT has of late established as a protagonist of the medical technology field in the country and was recently given the mandate by the office of the Principal Scientific Advisor for acting as the Programme Analysis Unit for all Government funded Research in medical technology in the country. KIHT was given birth to tackle the present situation of India relying heavily on imported technology and products which is a great dissuading factor for the innovators in the country in Health care sector.

Dr Jitendar Kumar Sharma, Executive Director of KIHT, who is country’s leading medical technology expert appealed to the stakeholders in the country to take advantage of the ecosystem created in Visakhapatnam by the Andhra Pradesh Government for the sector.