WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DAY 2023

The World Intellectual Property Day is observed every year on 26 April to commemorate the institutionalisation of framework for Intellectual Property and the World Intellectual Property Organisation Convention, 1970, coming into force. The same was earmarked with the objective “to highlight the role and contribution of intellectual property in the economic, cultural and social development of all countries as well as to raise public awareness and understanding in this field of human endeavour”. On the occasion of World IP Day, the Corporate Law Committee, School of Law organised a guest lecture on “Women and IP: Accelerating Innovation and Creativity”. The guest lecture was conducted with the aim of inculcating legal acumen and aspirations in the students while also celebrating the spirit of World Intellectual Property Day.

The speakers, Adv. Padmaja Pathak and Adv. Yuga Thombare was pleased to address the lucrative professional avenues that Intellectual Property Law imparts on this day. The profile of the speakers was an impressionable representation of their contribution in the field, as IP Professionals.

Adv. Padmaja Pathak delivered a lecture on the various primary and advanced professional avenues available to IP professionals and interacted to cultivate and embed a sense of connectivity with the evolving field of Intellectual Property. Further, she inculcated a sense of direction and shared her experience as an IP professional to motivate and encourage the young minds and the future professionals of the country to exploit the prospects that being an IP Professional and Practitioner entailed. The discussion further led to introduction of the basic concepts of Intellectual Property and correlating the same with the present and future prospective developments in the field, which has only recently been able to attract professionals and practitioners. She elucidated further on the massive clientele interested in protecting their intellectual properties due to the substantial monetary interest usually involved. She was also pleased to share the experience she possesses and the various challenges she faced in developing her career, especially during the time when the field, in itself, was clouded with ambiguity and uncertainty, deeply inspiring the attendees

Adv. Yuga Thombare delivered the lecture on the nexus between innovation and gender biases, which followed the Indian business set-up. She initiated her discourse and topic of discussion by introducing the basic concepts ensuing the field – such as Trademarks, Copyrights, Patents and Designs. She was able to attract the attendees by employing youth friendly anecdotes and examples to increase the reach and appeal of the guest lecture. She further proceeded to discuss the business problems, discrimination and systemic differentiation created on the basis of gender and other identities, which have now been replaced and significantly diminished due to the spurt of globalisation, digitalisation and the active role played by the Government to foster good governance practices. The key point of her lecture revolved around setting the ground for encouraging the present generation to change the narrative revolving around the profession and establishing better management and administrative practices in the field. The Guest Lecture on “Women and IP: Accelerating Innovation and Creativity” concluded with an exchange of a question-and-answer session.

In a guest lecture, students get new perspectives and opinions that are often missed in a regular class. A guest lecture gives students a better opportunity to learn about an explicit topic in a way that gets them involved in the class and actively joins in a more convenient way of teaching. Hence, Students of the School of Law gained industry insights from esteemed industry experts and understood how to make a career in Intellectual Property Law.