The Inter University Centre for IPR Studies in association with MHRD Chair on IPR at Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) has announced the fourth edition of its annual national workshop for law students, 'Rethinking Intellectual Property'. The workshop will focus on 'Copyright Issues in the Entertainment Industry' and will be held from January 16 to 18, 2014. The workshop is open to all undergraduate and post-graduate students of law keen on developing a research paper on any of the workshop's sub-themes (see below). Interested students have to submit an abstract (of max. 350 words) on any of the sub-themes by July 31, 2013 and final papers by October 5, 2013. For more about the workshop and registration process, see the announcement below or visit here:
Objectives of the Annual Workshop: Rethinking IP is an annual national level workshop for law students organized by the IUCIPRS in association with the MHRD Chair on IPR, CUSAT to initiate critical thinking regarding the role of Intellectual Property Rights in a social context. The pedagogical practice existing among the Law Schools in India predominantly approaches IP from a commercial angle, often ignoring the social implications of IP. The main objective of Intellectual Property law is to maintain a correct balance between protection of IP and providing access to the public to the modern technology and its benefits. The western approach of looking at IP as a catalyst for development is being followed by our law schools without being interrogated. Our experience with the western approach signifies that it stifles innovation and research and creates barriers in the enjoyment of benefits by the public. The question therefore is should India imitate the western practices, both statutory and judicial, or whether we should evolve our own jurisprudence of IP reflecting wider questions of national development and the welfare of people.
About theme of 2014: The advent of digital technology and the consequent explosion in the information and communication technology has brought out sweeping changes in the access and distribution of copyrighted content. For copyright owners, it exposed new avenues of exploitation of copyrighted works and at the same time it brought in serious challenges in enforcing the copyright. Interests of different stakeholders belonging to the diverse sectors of entertainment industry such as film, broadcast and music industries are being drastically affected by the emergence of new technologies. Today’s copyright domain is featured with the copyright owners resorting to extension of the scope of copyright to the technological measures protecting the content from unauthorised access. Owners of copyright and related right holders, especially in the entertainment industry, demand for greater protection of their rights in the digital context. The challenges faced by different sectors of entertainment industry, authors, performers and other related right holders, along with the issue of access to copyrighted materials in the more beneficial environment created by the digital technology are the serious issues faced by the copyright law in the digital era. In this changed environment, India had amended its copyright law in 2012 to provide solutions to the troubled copyright platform. The theme of 2014 addresses the copyright issues in the entertainment industry in the wake of new technologies, and the solutions offered by the Indian copyright law to such challenges, meticulously attempting not to compromise access right to users.
The programme includes lectures, invited talks, case studies, corner discussions, students’ presentations, exercises, scenario analysis, role play, field exposure etc.
The sub-themes are
- Challenges faced by the film and music industries in the digital era.
- Entertainment industry and the triangular relation among author, owner and user
- Role of collecting societies in ensuring a balanced copyright system
- Enforcement issues in the entertainment industry.
- Digitization and challenges to legitimate access to copyrighted contents to the public
- Internet file sharing and challenges to entertainment industry
Registration: Law students (undergraduate and post graduate only) willing to prepare a paper on any of the subthemes could apply. The sessions of the workshop are designed in a manner reflecting the concerns of the entertainment industry as well as the public. So students are urged to prepare papers accordingly so that each session will comprise of two student presentations representing the conflicting interests. Each student is allowed to register by sending an abstract (maximum 350 words) on one or two themes on or before 31st July 2013. Based on the title and abstracts submitted by the students as approved by IUCIPRS, the subthemes will be allocated to the students. We encourage original single author papers, though joint submissions with a maximum of two authors are also permissible.
Selection: After the allocation of subthemes, each student is required to submit the full paper on or before 5th October 2013. Selection to the workshop shall be based on the quality of the paper submitted. To ensure quality, students on each theme will be linked to the resource person of the concerned theme; and based on his/her suggestions, each student has to revise the full paper. Last date for submission of revised full paper shall be 3rd November 2013. Two best papers on each theme representing conflicting views will be selected for student presentations and the announcement of final selection will be made on 15th November 2013. Total number of participants is limited to 40. All selected students will have to take an active role in the workshop by way of exercises such as mock moots, role plays, parliamentary debates etc. Exercises form an important part of the workshop where critical issues in the subthemes get highlighted. Exercises on each subtheme with the names of the allotted students will be posted in the website during the month of December 2013. The participants are required to do the exercises during the concerned sessions.
Awards/ Certificates: Two best papers will be published in the Journal of WIPO/ Journal of Intellectual Property Rights/ Cochin University Law Review. The best two participants who perform well in the exercise will be given the opportunity to do their one month internship with the IUCIPRS.
For registration and more details, visit http://ciprs.cusat.ac.in
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