Latest news with #IPR
Indian Express
9 hours ago
- Indian Express
Delhi Police bust counterfeit auto spare parts racket, arrest 11 and recover fake products worth Rs 50 lakh
The Delhi Police said Tuesday they have busted a racket selling counterfeit automobile spare parts operating out of the Capital's Karol Bagh, and arrested 11 people in connection with the crime. Acting on credible tip-offs, the Inter-State Cell of the Crime Branch conducted coordinated raids on four separate premises on July 26, leading to the arrest of 11 people and the recovery of fake automobile components worth approximately Rs 50 lakh. The teams raided four locations in Nai Walan and Pusa Lane, where key suspects were apprehended along with substantial quantities of duplicate brake shoes, spark plugs, engine oils, packaging supplies, and other counterfeit parts resembling products of reputed international automobile brands, said the police. Among those arrested was Dheeraj Singh, 38, who the police identified as the alleged kingpin of the operation. A commerce graduate with prior experience in the auto industry, Singh allegedly managed the logistics and supply network. The police said his associate Amit Singh, 34, handled accounting and supply chain management, and Dipankar Nagpal, 42, supplied counterfeit branding materials. Other members of the group played roles in storage, packaging, distribution, and fake invoicing. According to the police, several members had past involvements in forgery or intellectual property rights (IPR) violations, and their detailed interrogation allegedly revealed a well-organised system aimed at deceiving both consumers and enforcement authorities. The police recovered over one lakh counterfeit parts, around 200 bottles of fake engine oil, and machines used to print labels and packaging. They also seized Rs 19 lakh in cash, forged packaging materials, holograms, stickers, and machinery used in manufacturing the counterfeit items. 'These persons procured low-quality, counterfeit auto parts from local and regional manufacturers at a fraction of the cost of genuine parts. These parts were functionally similar but lacked the durability and safety standards of genuine products. Using forged labels, holograms, logos, and packaging materials, the group rebranded the fake products to resemble those of reputed automobile companies,' said Aditya Gautam, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch). 'The packaging was often nearly identical to the original, making it difficult for the average buyer or mechanic to spot the difference. Printing machines, branding stamps, and packing materials were seized during the raid. The counterfeit products were sold to local auto part dealers, wholesalers, and repair shops in and around Delhi at slightly discounted prices, maximising profit margins,' added Gautam. The Delhi Police said some parts were falsely marketed as Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) surplus or 'export rejects' to mislead buyers. Most of the transactions were done in cash, and fake invoices were generated to avoid detection. In some cases, the group also used online marketplaces and classified ads to reach a broader customer base, falsely advertising the parts as original, said the police. A case has been registered invoking relevant sections of the Copyright Act.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
'No Compromises, Only Benefits': Piyush Goyal Explains 'Historic' India-UK Trade Deal
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal announced that India secured significant advantages under the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with the UK without compromising on key interests. He stated that sensitive sectors like rice, sugar, dairy, and ethanol remained protected with no duty concessions. Goyal highlighted improved competitiveness for Indian seafood in the UK market and reductions in duties on automobiles and scotch, with volume limits to protect domestic industries. He emphasized that there was no compromise on intellectual property rights, with a strong IPR chapter included, resisting pressures from the UK and EFTA countries on patent regulations.#indiaukfta #ceta #piyushgoyal #freetradeagreement #indianeconomy #tradebenefits #sensitivesectors #intellectualproperty #globaltrade #toi #toibharat
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
India stuck to TRIPS and domestic law in UK deal, says official amid drug access concerns
India has not gone beyond the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement or domestic law in the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)-related deal with the UK, a senior government official said on Saturday after trade experts raised concerns stating that India had moved away from its conventional position on IPR in the UK trade deal. The 'Working Group on Access to Medicines and Treatment' and trade experts pointed out that the UK deal has provisions tilting in favour of patent holders since they bring the issuance of compulsory licences — a critical tool to ensure access to affordable life-saving medicines — under greater scrutiny and constraints. 'In the IPR chapter, India has not breached the TRIPS agreement and is in compliance with domestic law. Only best practices that do not infringe on domestic laws have been adopted. Sharing of information and several such elements are part of the deal,' the government official said. The Working Group on Access to Medicines and Treatment is a network of patients, activists and professionals working towards access to affordable medicines in India. It said the UK-India FTA provisions on patents tilt the balance in favour of the patent owner and undermine access to medicines. 'There is a progressive movement towards accepting the demands of FTA partners, which is systematically debasing the public interest safeguards available in the Indian Patents Act. Article 13.6, stating the understandings regarding TRIPS and public health measures, clearly places voluntary mechanisms such as voluntary licensing as the preferred and optimal route to promote access to medicines,' the working group said. Biswajit Dhar, a trade policy expert with the Council for Social Development, said that the provisions in the UK deal favouring voluntary licences leave access to medicines in the hands of market forces and undermine the role of the government in facilitating access. 'Further, it also gives a clear signal to potential compulsory licence applicants that they are not welcome. Often, voluntary licences contain onerous conditions on the licensee and fail to bring sharp price reductions compared to compulsory licences,' Dhar said. 'There are also provisions in the IP chapter which can potentially undermine the safeguards preventing evergreening of patents. Though couched in best endeavour language, there is a provision to 'facilitate the sharing and use of search and examination work of the Parties'. The implementation of this provision would lead to the harmonisation of patentability criteria and undermine safeguards against evergreening, such as Section 3(d) of the Patents Act,' said K M Gopakumar, co-convenor of the Working Group on Access to Medicines and Treatment. Compared to the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) IP chapter, this chapter shows further movement towards strengthening the interests of patent holders at the cost of access to medicines. The implementation of these provisions reduces the ability of the central and state governments to fulfil their constitutional obligation on the right to health, the working group said.
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Business Standard
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
FTA with UK 'gold standard' for balanced agreements: Piyush Goyal
The recently signed trade agreement with the United Kingdom (UK) has the potential to serve as a 'gold standard' to strike a balance between protecting India's 'sensitive sectors', while opening doors for labour intensive sectors facing global competition, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said on Saturday. According to him, deal will be an important stepping stone to many more agreements with other advanced economies, which sets the benchmark of high quality free trade agreements (FTAs) that India will be doing in the future. 'The effort is that our Indian industry gets preferential access over our competition. I think this can become a gold standard to ensure that India protects sensitive sectors and opens the doors, particularly in areas where its highly labor intensive in competition with our other competitors in other countries, and allows high quality goods of technology and other products to come to India,' Goyal said at a press conference on the India-UK trade deal that was signed on Thursday. Under the trade agreement, India has protected its sensitivities and excluded inclusion of items such as dairy, rice, apples, sugar, among other items. On the other hand, the pact will help boost exports of labour-intensive products including footwear, textiles and gems and jewellery. Goyal's statement came against the backdrop of India's dissatisfaction with the FTAs signed with countries such as Japan, South Korea and ASEAN bloc. This is because India believes that it didn't gain much from these deals. Besides some of these pacts, according to officials have been misused owing to its weak rules that resulted in a rise in imports via third country such as China. The minister further said that inclusion of intellectual property rights (IPR) is a huge 'achievement'. 'We didn't allow evergreening, yet we have a robust chapter on IPR,' he said. According to commerce department officials, the trade deal the IPR represents a balanced and forward-looking approach—fully aligned with India's legal framework, TRIPS flexibilities, and public health priorities. It strengthens cooperation while preserving India's sovereign rights in matters of patent policy and access to essential medicines. Under the deal, 99 per cent of Indian exports will enter the UK duty-free. The deal also has a review clause, which states that the deal can be reviewed five-years after its implementation. OTHER FTAs Goyal further said that negotiations for a trade deal with the United States (US) is making 'fast progress'. However, he did not specify whether an interim deal can be sealed with the US before the August 1 deadline set by the Trump administration for implementation of reciprocal tariffs. Government officials had earlier said that the next round of negotiations with the US will take place in the second half of August — limiting the possibility of an interim trade deal over the next few days. He also said that FTA negotiations with Oman are almost finalised.
Hans India
6 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
ALC celebrates Income Tax Day
Vijayawada: Commemorating Income Tax Day, Andhra Loyola College on Thursday hosted an insightful guest lecture on Income Tax, aimed at enhancing financial literacy among its students. The session was led by Assistant Director of Income Tax Dommeti Sridhar providing students with essential up-to-date financial knowledge directly from the Income Tax Department. The event also featured Manohar, an IIT Graduate, who emphasised that paying taxes is a civic duty akin to building one's family, underscoring its foundational role in national development. Vijay, an alumnus of Andhra Loyola College (ALC), highlighted the simplicity of online tax portals and the stability of current tax policies, encouraging seamless compliance. The overall objective of the session was to foster a 'Together for a Strong Nation' spirit among the youth. Discussions covered practical aspects of taxation, including popular tax deductions under Section 80C, the convenience of online taxpayer services, and the crucial link between Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) taxation and innovation. This comprehensive session empowered students with real-world knowledge vital for both personal financial management and active participation in nation-building. Approximately 200 students from the Commerce and BBA departments actively participated in the programme, demonstrating a keen interest in understanding their future financial responsibilities. Certificates were distributed to the prize winners as part of the celebration. Fr Kiran Kumar, Vice-Principal II year, Dr L Subha, Dean of Student Activities, Nirmala Rani, Head of the Department of Commerce and Durga Pavani, Head of the Department of Business Administration also participated.
