New Delhi, June 21 (KNN) In the past, India has cast doubt on its commitment to innovation with restrictive patentability criteria affecting life sciences and computer-related inventions, generally weak enforcement of IP laws, and an administrative bureaucracy marked by red tape, said Patrick Kilbride, Vice President of International Intellectual Property for the Global Intellectual Property Centre (GIPC) at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The statement has been made just days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US on June 25-26, 2017.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump will meet for the first time on June 26 during PM’s two-day visit to the United States, with their discussions expected to set the agenda for strengthening the bilateral strategic partnership.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) released its 2017 Special 301 Report in April, reviewing global developments on trade and intellectual property (IP) and identifying trading partners with detrimental records on protection, enforcement, or market access for U.S. innovators and creators.

According to it, India remains on the Priority Watch List for lack of sufficient measurable improvements to its IP framework on longstanding challenges and new issues that have negatively affected U.S. right holders over the past year, particularly with respect to patents, copyrights, trade secrets, and enforcement.

The report highlights that the pace of reform has not matched high-level calls to foster innovation and promote creativity.

In the statement, Patrick Kilbride said, “The Trump administration has placed particular emphasis on ensuring our international partners respect the rights of American innovators. This visit represents an opportunity for the Indian government to renew its commitment as a good-faith economic partner and to embrace pro-growth policies that will mutually benefit American and Indian innovators alike." (KNN Bureau)