IIT to start intellectual property school

IIT Kharagpur will start an institution on intellectual property laws to educate students on protection and exploitation of technological IP and it will known as Rajiv Gandhi School of Intellectual Property Laws.

"The union government has already given its nod for the project and we will start it in July 2006," S K Dubey, director, IIT Kharagpur told PTI on Wednesday. Dubey, who is in Goa to participate in the international conference on advanced materials design and development, jointly organised by IIT Kharagpur and Georgia Tech, Atlanta, USA, said the school would be unique in the country educating students on technology related IP.

"Since we lack IP focus, we tend to lose many things. We have lost many things only because we don't know how to protect them", Dubey said speaking about the overall IP scenario.

"If you are not aware of the laws protecting your IP, you tend to lose", he said adding, "We feel that the technologists should be aware of IP laws".

The IP School would produce 'technological lawyers' as the traditional lawyers are not strong enough when it comes to IP of technology, he added.

The school would impart education on IP protection in the wake of new patent laws, developing technologies and international laws.