Intellectual Property Laws

There is a well recognized statutory, administrative and judicial framework to uphold intellectual property rights (“IPR”) in India, whether they relate to patents, trade marks, copyright or industrial designs. Well-known international trademarks have been protected in India even when they were not registered there. The courts, under the doctrine of breach of confidentiality, have accorded an extensive protection to trade secrets.

India is a signatory to the agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (“TRIPS”), which came into force on January 1, 1995 as part of its acceptance of the GATT regime under the WTO. Indian laws protecting IPR are in line with the minimum standards for protection and enforcement as laid down by TRIPS.