The Human Resource Development Minister, Shri Arjun Singh has called for evolving a regime of intellectual property rights which strikes a balance between private incentives for innovators and the public interests by maximizing access to intellectual products. Inaugurating the Asia-Pacific Symposium on Emerging Issues of Copyright Protection in the Digital Environment in New Delhi today, he said that the advent of digital technology has created a new world order by tearing asunder national boundaries in cyber space. He said that while the new technology helps in wide dissemination of content on the one hand, it also facilitates piracy. The Minister said that the country was somewhat groping in dark about ten years ago when digital technology and its products made a mark in the world. He expressed satisfaction that India has one of the most modern copyright laws in the world today to protect the interests of innovators.

The three day conference has been organised by the Ministry of Human Resources Development in collaboration with the Geneva based World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and Delhi University. Over 40 participants from about 20 Asia-Pacific countries are attending the Symposium. The participants will be sharing their national experiences as also to deliberate on changes that should be brought about to protect intellectual property rights.

Addressing the delegates the Education Secretary, Shri B.S. Baswan said that the Government is in the process of incorporating the internet treaties in the Copyright Act for which the Ministry has already held large scale consultations with various stake holders.

Others who addressed the Symposium included the Deputy Director General of WIPO, Mr. Geoffrey Yu, the Director General of Japan Copyright Office, Mr. Yasutaka Moriguchi and the Vice Chancellor of Delhi University, Shri Deepak Nayaar.