EPCH LAUNCHES ONLINE DESIGN REGISTER SERVICE – FACILITATING EXPORTERS TO PROTECT THEIR DESIGNS
New Delhi – 17th April, 2020 – Amidst Corona Virus pandemic, Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts is keeping the momentum of the hour by organising Webinars and reaching out to its members by disseminating beneficial information on new initiatives, representing the issues of handicrafts sector at the appropriate state and central authorities level. An important webinar in the series was organised today on “Intellectual Property Rights and How to Protect Your Designs” that was attended by more than 300 members from across India said Shri Rakesh Kumar, Director General EPCH.
Mr. Ankit Sahni, a legal expert and practicing lawyer on the subject from M/s Ajay Sahni & Associates made an elaborate presentation on trademarks, copyrights, patents, design registration and explained about legal procedures and also the relevance of design protection in handicrafts sector. He further said that IPR play an important role in creating goodwill of the product produced by the company and create demand of the products and ensures quality amongst the importing nations/overseas buyers.
On this occasion, Shri R. K. Passi, Chairman EPCH, Shri Rakesh Kumar DG EPCH and select member exporters launched online the Design Register Service Platform that has been conceptualised by EPCH. Speaking on the occasion, Shri Passi said that Design register will prove be to an important tool for the exporters to protect their design from copying by others and protect the rights of the creator of the design or product.
Expert Panellists from handicrafts sector joined webinar from different states of India including Dileep Baid of M/s Dileep Trading Corporation & Member COA EPCH, Ms. Ruma Malik a known Buying Representative from Something Else and founder member of Buying Agents Association, Mr. Rajan Agarwal from Rajan Overseas, Ms. Nupur Batra from Accessories by Nupur and Mr. Rahul Bhardwaj of R.R. Overseas, informed Shri Kumar.
Addressing the participants, Mr. Rakesh Kumar informed the need and relevance of incorporating best practice features in this unique first in its class Design Register Service Platform. Briefing the participants and the dignitaries present in the webinar Shri Kumar further elaborated the objective of launching the design register and said that every now and then EPCH used to receive complaints from its members regarding copying of products by other exporters. To sort out the problem being faced by the large number of exporters, EPCH conceptualised creating of design register which will be maintained by EPCH with the objective to create awareness amongst its member exporters and facilitate them to register their design/product/material/article created by them under the Design Register at EPCH that would work as a code of conduct of the handicrafts exporters, for the handicrafts exporters and by the handicrafts exporters.
Shri Dileep Baid of M/s Dileep Trading Corporation and Member COA EPCH appreciated the dynamic model of the platform with both the exporter as well as buyers perspective. Ms. Ruma Malik said this initiative will also save the design creator from spending a lot of money and time in patenting/registering their products with the appropriate authorities.
Seven member exporters from all across the country simultaneously registered their designs on the design register platform and tested the efficacy. The exporters were Mr. K.N. Tulasi Rao from Ramakrishna Paramhamsa & Co. Andhra Pradesh and Member COA EPCH, Ms. Jesmina Zeliang from Heirloom Naga Nagaland and Regional Convener EPCH NER, Mr. Anand Jalan from Shubham Trexim Pvt. Ltd Kolkata, Mr. Mayank Jain from Basant Jodhpur, Mr. Rajat Asthana of Stonemen Crafts International Agra, Mr. Naved Ur Rehman of M/s Zed Sons and Vice Chairman EPCH. Shri Rajesh Kumar Jain, President, Social Media Cell of EPCH after registering his designs online said that a dream envisioned by Mr. Rakesh Kumar, DG -ECPH has come true today with the lunch of Design Register during Covid 2019.
