EU and India sign memorandum of cooperation

In May 2022, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) of India. The memorandum will lay the groundwork for future relationships and cooperation between the two agencies.

IP cooperation between the EU and India dates back to 2015, when the EU-funded cooperation project EU-India Intellectual Property Cooperation (IPC-EUI) was officially launched. The project started negotiations between EUIPO and the Indian Patent, Design and Trademark Office (CGPDTM) and DPIIT, culminating in the signing of a bilateral agreement.

India has joined some of EUIPO’s international online tools such as TMview, DesignView and TMclass. There are over 2 million Indian trademarks on the TMview platform.

The above-mentioned MoU establishes a cooperation framework under which both parties will draft a 2-year work plan detailing the cooperation activities to be carried out, including:

– dissemination of knowledge on best practices and IP awareness among the public, businesses and educational institutions;

– cooperation in training programmes, expert exchanges, technical exchanges and outreach activities;

– exchange of information and best practices on the trademark and design filing process and intellectual property protection, enforcement and use;

– Cooperation in the development of automation and modernization projects, new documentation and information systems for IP, such as search and classification tools.

EU-India trade relations

On May 8, 2021, the leaders of the EU and India agreed to resume negotiations on a trade agreement and to start negotiations separately on an investment protection agreement and another agreement on geographical indications.

Another strategic coordination mechanism between the EU and India is the EU-India Trade and Technology Commission (TTC). The committee was created to address trade, technology and security challenges and to strengthen the partnership between the two groups. It was the first TTC in India and the second TTC in the European Union, another TTC in the European Union was formed with the United States.