‘Digital makes life easy, but raises IPR challenges’
Protection
of intellectual property is vital as new business models emerge, says IPR
expert
Hyderabad, April
18:
New
business models of delivery of services in the digital world are changing the
world for the better, but they also throw up challenges in terms of managing
problems relating to them, according to a top executive of a Virginia-based
Intellectual Property Protection firm.
Pamela
C Gavin, Managing Member of Gavin Law Offices PLC, told Business Line
that the range of services and reach digital platforms provide is mind blowing.
But they also expose companies, service providers and users to potential misuse
of intellectual property rights.
During
her visit to Hyderabad, as a leading intellectual property protection and
enforcement consultant, Pamela mentioned about Amazon, Netflix models of
delivery of digital content, and said these provide wide access and market
equilibrium. Young people are particularly well placed to gain from the
delivery of such content.
Piracy angle
However,
from an enforcement point of view, it throws a number of challenges for
companies and service providers from the piracy angle.
Even
the content sometimes uploaded on to the digital platform needs to be strictly
regulated. But any violation can be tracked and addressed by the right experts,
she said.The laws in the US have been well codified and the enforcement is also
very efficient. Yet, the nature and scope and the geographical reach makes it
tough sometimes to manage the inherent challenges, she said.
Mentioning
the recent instance of Ilayaraja-SP Balasubramanyam spat, she said in the US it
is possible to make use of the same theme and innovate and generate new music
but they would have to pay royalty to the original creator. Referring to music
groups and popular singers, with whom she has been working with over the years,
she said in the US, the norms are well established and violation can be
addressed within the legal framework.
Citing
the example of Ethiopian Fine Coffee, where buyers were making huge money and
coffee plantation workers hardly any in the past, she said through branding and
protection of IPR, it is a win-win situation.
Win-win situation
Now,
the Ethiopian Fine Coffee is branded, it gets the right price, gets consumed in
StarBucks network, the coffee sellers get right prices and in the end even the
workers get their rightful due.
There
have been a number of instances where free speech and trade mark related issues
come in conflict. But there are ways to address them as per the laws and ensure
justice is done, she said.
Source | Business Line | 19 April 2017
Regards
Pralhad Jadhav
Senior Manager @
Knowledge Repository
Khaitan
& Co
Upcoming
Event | MANLIBNET 17th
Annual International Conference on 15-16 September 2017 at Jaipuria, Noida,
India
No comments:
Post a Comment