It’s right time to sensitise the masses
RINKY GUPTA
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New jobs and opportunities in the Intellectual Property related sector
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Today, “Intellectual Property has become the buzz word in all the sectors and we hear top policy makers making statements like “21st century is going to be an era of knowledge based economy or a regime of Intellectual Property related sector." But it is strange that a large number of educated people too are unaware about IPR in general and especially IPR as a career.
The media has been sensitising the masses about some issues related IPR like patents, copyrights, geographical indications through Novartis case /the famous controversy of T.V serial “Karishma” v/s Barbara Taylor’s Bradford’s “Woman of substance” case. Still a lot has to percolate to the ground level.
Leaving aside the debate of whether IPR protection is needed or not “or”, what are the pros and cons of IPR protection, what is required is to understand the need of the hour of our country, the unemployment scenario and how IPR in coming days would help in generating employment? No doubt protection of intellectual property rights can foster economic growth, provide incentives for innovation and attract investment that will create new jobs and opportunities. India has a vast intellectual resource, which is rapidly gaining in higher education and hence leading to a mismatch between the quality of the education and the job opportunities available. Training in IPR would fill the gap to an extent.
Numerous organisations at national and international levels — World Intellectual Property Organisation, National Intellectual Property Organisation, Technical Information Forecasting and Assessment Council — are taking the lead in spreading awareness about IP, its management and the myriad opportunities it bestows. Public-private partnership too is emerging to support this cause. Universities are planning to introduce a course in IPR at the graduation level. Job opportunities are ample in areas such as Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) Law firms, industries with IP Cell, the Indian patent office, the trademark office, etc. Industries are eager to get skilled people in this field. Gone will be the days when a simple graduate would visualise a bleak career prospect.
Career options
One can make a decent living in IPR as a patent agent, trademark agent, patent analyst, patent attorney, copyright attorney, IPR consultant, patent examiner, trademark examiner, IP scientist in a research organisation, can pursue Ph.D. in IPR with interdisciplinary combinations, or start a department of IPR at university level or, if someone has an entrepreneur zeal, one can start a coaching institute in IPR, or a training institute in different areas of IPR (like patent drafting, searches, analysis, mapping, etc).
One can venture into other forms of IPR such as IC layout protection and geographical indications, and this is a field where freelancing and home based consultancy is a feasible option. Considering the unemployment rate for university graduates which is 31.7 per cent according to a national survey held in 2004-05 (where National Sample Survey asked questions about employment), and the kind of options IPR would provide, policy formulators are consciously working on this front.
The reason why more educated people have higher unemployment is that they can stay unemployed waiting for a good job and an added training in IPR would indeed fetch them what they desire.
One can do online or correspondence courses from reputed law institutes or avail themselves of training from private organisation to qualify in this field.
What is required is indepth information with respect to IPR courses and other related details.
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