A 2-day Patents Symposium 2005, held by the Goa Institute of Management, Ribandar (GIM) was concluded successfully on Sunday at Cidade De Goa resort. This symposium, held in light of the new Intellectual Property regime coming to India, featured eminent speakers like Dr. Anil Kakodkar, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commision; Dr. Arno Hartmann, Corporate Head of Patents, Merck Germany and Dr. Anji Reddy, Chairman of Dr. Reddy’s Labs.

AEC Chairman Dr Anil Kakodkar remarked in his address, ‘India is going through a transitional phase…from free availability of knowledge to the advent of the IPR regime, which has led to commercialization of knowledge. India can benefit greatly by focusing on empowering its large youth population with the tools and resources to create wealth by applying knowledge.’ He also remarked that IPR system has to be sensitive to the needs of less endowed people and issues of national interest.

The keynote speaker, Mr. N R Madhav Menon, founder of the National Law School in Bangalore gave a critique of Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), while suggesting a separate TRIPS agreement for traditional knowledge.Dr. Anji Reddy, celebrated by Forbes as the ”Face of the new Indian Pharmaceutical Industry” described how his firm has successfully turned into a leading research-driven organization. Dr. Reddy exhorted the industry to look at the tremendous new opportunities that the new scenario provided, and be driven by a passion for excellence.

The second and concluding day of the symposium featured Dr. Arno Hartmann, Director of Patents Division for KGaA Merck, Germanywho spoke about the significance of patent rights, saying that only patents will provide the protection and incentive necessary for conducting meaningful research. Since research is always expensive and takes a long time, patenting can ensure profitability and hence encourage creativity and entrepreneurship,said Dr. Hartmann. He pointed out the weak-points of the patents law in India and suggested ways to improve upon those areas, in order to have a solid and working Intellectual Property Rights protection system.

Other eminent speakers included Mr. P Mazumdar, Director, Syngenta; Dr. Keayla, National Working Group on Patents and Professor V. Gopal of the Goa Institute of Management.

This Symposium was organized by the Goa Institute of Management, Ribandar as a student initiative in its quest to mobilize Corporate India to be creative and swift to survive and flourish in rapidly changing global conditions.