Intellectual Property Debates in South Asia: Law, Development, and Practice

This book brings together leading scholars from South Asia and beyond to examine the development of intellectual property law within the national South Asian systems.

In doing so, the book highlights the different IP narratives developed in the region (such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan), embracing the legal values and ethos in domestic IP practices and promoting comparative studies at regional and international levels.

The book is divided into 3 parts. Part 1 addresses IP through development and social justice lenses, with a focus on IP theory, geographical indications, technology transfer, and de-colonisation. Part 2 is devoted to recent IP practices in South Asia, especially recent legislative and judicial development covering copyright, trademark litigation, public health, traditional knowledge and TRIPS compliance. Part 3 provides a comparative study with a focus on institutions, courts, and practices, drawing on some key IP issues including patent law, developing equitable IP policies, the role of women in IP, fair access to learning materials, and others.

Each contribution focuses on innovative IP practices and emerging challenges in South Asia and will serve as a stepping stone for further discussion among scholars, policy makers, and other stakeholders involved in shaping and improving IP law. The book is a key resource for legal academics, practitioners and law students interested in (South) Asian IP law.

Pratyush Nath Upreti is Senior Lecturer in intellectual property law at Queen’s University Belfast, UK.