May 8, 2006

Remarks for the
INDO-US SEMINAR AND WORKSHOP ON IPR ENFORCEMENT
By

Henry V. Jardine,
U.S. Consul General in Calcutta
May 8, 2006

 
I would like to thank The Confederation of Indian Industries for organizing this Indo-US Seminar and Workshop on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) enforcement here in Kolkata as part of a countrywide series of seminars that have taken place in Mumbai, New Delhi and Chennai.  I would like to thank The Confederation of Indian Industries for organizing this Indo-US Seminar and Workshop on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) enforcement here in Kolkata as part of a countrywide series of seminars that have taken place in Mumbai, New Delhi and Chennai.  I would like to thank The Confederation of Indian Industries for organizing this Indo-US Seminar and Workshop on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) enforcement here in Kolkata as part of a countrywide series of seminars that have taken place in Mumbai, New Delhi and Chennai. 

 

I think it is very important that Kolkata, the gateway to East India, has been included in the round of seminars.  This region with approximately 300 million people constitutes a huge potential market for products, services, entertainment and the full range of commerce.  Already, West Bengal is experiencing rapid economic growth.  In recent years, the state’s domestic production growth has been greater than the national average and West Bengal has been identified as having the third fastest economy in India.

Driving this growth are the industries that rely significantly on Intellectual Property Rights – IT, pharmaceuticals, bio-technology, food products, even music and entertainment.  Kolkata once famous for its film industry, with the great figures like Satyajit Ray and Mirnal Sen, is seeing a resurgence of its very own Tollywood.  A recent article in The Telegraph noted that after a slump in the 1980’s and 1990’s the industry has seen a rebirth from 2002.  Since then, film budgets have increased and production standards have improved. Analysts put the Bengali film market as being worth Rs 120-140 crore. Today, the Calcutta film industry produces 45-50 movies a year.  Critical to fostering the growth of the creative arts in this region is ensuring that the producers, directors and artists are able to fully benefit from the fruits of their talents through strong protection of their intellectual rights.

In the area of medical research, Kolkata also has a great history and now great potential.  It was here that Ronald Ross made the groundbreaking discovery of the malaria-causing plasmodium parasite in the anopheles mosquito, for which he won the Nobel Prize in 1902.  And just last week, I was able to witness first hand that great research is again happening in this city. 
I visited the U.S. company Chembiotek with Treasury Under Secretary Mr. Timothy Adams.  Chembiotek, located in Salt Lake is conducting cutting-edge pharmaceutical research in support of international pharmaceutical companies.  This company is just one example of the many technology companies that are rapidly establishing operations in Kolkata and this region, because of the protection that strong IPR regulations provide.  The technology companies here receive foreign investment and customers because of the assurance that the research and technology will not be copied or improperly managed.   

IPR was an important element in President Bush’s recent visit to India in March.  In the joint statement of the President and Prime Minister Singh, they agreed that the United States and India will work together "to promote innovation, creativity and technological advancement by providing a vibrant intellectual property rights regime, and to cooperate in the field of intellectual property rights to include capacity building activities, human resource development, and public awareness programs."  This program is one step in our collaborative effort to carry out this joint commitment to establish a world-class IPR regime in India.

United States is putting considerable resources into helping India and other countries to build capacity for implementing effective IPR protection.  The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the Copyright Office have played the key role in supporting this process.  To further their efforts, this summer an experienced USPTO attorney will be posted to our Embassy in New Delhi as an "IPR attaché" for the next several years.  His job will be to work exclusively on furthering U.S.-India cooperation on IPR.  We also work with the FBI, Department of Justice and Customs Services to provide assistance in IPR enforcement as much as possible within resource limitations.  Representatives from some of these agencies will be engaging with you in this program over the next several weeks.   We are also discussing with the Government of India how to best target the significant U.S. technical assistance we are earmarking for India this year to help build capacity in stronger IPR protection.

However, bilateral negotiations are and will remain central to our efforts to improve intellectual property standards worldwide. As time has passed, our trading partners - including India -- have begun to see the effect of stronger standards at home - that is, that strong intellectual property standards allow nations to develop their own high-tech and artistic industries and to attract foreign investment.  This led to a fundamental advance with the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS) at the creation of the WTO in 1995. This was an historic achievement: it required all WTO members to pass and enforce copyright, patent and trademark laws, and gave all countries a strong dispute settlement mechanism to protect their rights.  With India we are engaging on a regular basis on IPR through our Trade Policy Forum, Commercial Dialogue, and High Technology Cooperation Group (HTCG).  This extensive bilateral engagement underscores the importance of this issue in our bilateral relationship.

U.S. companies are excited about future prospects in India, both in terms of introduction of innovative products and the potential for R&D investment and collaboration.  Innovators/investors want to have confidence that, if they bring technology, know-how and cutting edge products to a country, their intellectual property will be effectively protected.  By initiating strong patent, copyright, and trademark protection for all products produced through the "intellectual process", India will be well on the road to ensuring it is a global player in innovative technology and enjoys a world-class services sector in the 21st century. 

It is our hope at the U.S. Consulate that from this seminar and the other bilateral efforts to enhance and enforce IPR regulations that Kolkata and East India can enjoy the full benefits of its great intellectual capital.  I hope that the directors of future “Pather Panchalis” will receive their proper economic rewards and that an environment of intellectual protection will foster the next great scientific discovery here -- the 21st century’s equivalent to finding the cause of malaria. 

I wish the participants the greatest success in their interactions during this seminar and I am sure that India’s IPR protections will benefit as a result.

Thank you.

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