Security of Intellectual Property in India

Topic: Support

Table of Content

2     Intellectual Property Rights

3     Legal aspects

3.1     International laws

3.1.1     What is TRIPS? What does it do?

4     Indian scenario

4.1     Protection under Indian Copyright Act

4.2     TRIPS [1] Indian status

4.3     WIPO Copyright

4.4     IPR promotion campaign

5     Company perspective

5.1     Security Policy development

5.2     Vulnerability assessment and fixing

5.3     Security provisions

1              Introduction

Software is one of the most valuable technologies of the Information Age, running everything from PCs to the Internet. Computer software affects every aspect of our lives, but most significantly the way we communicate. With the touch of a button or the click of a mouse, information is transmitted across the globe. With each passing year, software evolves into a faster, more sophisticated, versatile and easy-to-use technology. Computer software allows companies to save time, effort and money. Home software now includes a wide array of programs that enhance the user's productivity and creativity. And computer graphics have turned PCs into a veritable inventive. The industry thrives on original software packages that are paid for and from these not only the software publishers stand to benefit but users too.

But unfortunately, because most software is highly valuable, and computers make it easy to create an exact copy of a program in seconds, software piracy is widespread. From individual computer users to professionals who deal wholesale in stolen software, piracy exists in homes, schools, businesses and government

 Outsourcing software development to reap cost advantage and increase bottom line performance is a catch word of large organizations in the world. Catching up with this trend the requirement of setting up Offshore Development Centers in India has increased.  Offshore software development centers (ODC) are set up especially to cater to a client's software development needs and are often treated as an extension of client's own IT department / software development group. When we go from Onshore to Offshore issues such as Security of the Intellectual Property and the safety of the software when it comes back in the developed form of application are very common. The basic issues are:

 ¨       To ensure that the outsourcing client’s vendors are well equipped with adequate security measures.

¨       To ensure that appropriate policies and practices are in place to avoid and minimize the risk of security compromises.

¨       The outsourcing vendor is conforming to the international standards & the legal system protects the interests of the industry in general.