Today’s PWS session saw Associate, Aditi Roy Chowdhury, leading a discussion on whether India is doing enough to protect its traditional knowledge. The session delved into understanding the protection available to the vast traditional knowledge in India, and also raised questions regarding India’s steps towards creating awareness regarding the protection in place.

A ‘Legal Issues Seminar’ was conducted by Nayantara Malhotra, Associate, on Legal Issues in Grant of Ex-Post Facto Environmental Clearances. The seminar touched upon the precautionary principle in Environmental Law, and the exceptional circumstances where ex-post facto clearances have previously been allowed by Courts. It further shed light on the Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2020, and its implications on ex-post facto clearances.

The session sparked interesting discussion and questions on the evolution of the practice of ex-post facto clearances, modern-day instances of adverse impacts resulting from such clearances, implications of the Notification on the public consultation procedure, balancing the goals of environment protection and economic growth, etc.   The presentation can be accessed here.

In this week’s Practice Workshop Series, Shreya Das, Associate, lead an interesting and insightful discussion on ‘Who owns your tattoo’. The associates discussed not just ownership in terms of copyright law but agency and fundamental rights of the person who is the “medium” for a tattoo.

A ‘Legal Issues Seminar’ was conducted by Hardik Choudhary, Trainee Associate, on Legal Issues in third-party licensing and collecting companies under the Copyright Act, 1957. The seminar touched upon legality of such entities under the Act, and the exemptions of agency and assignment claimed by them towards avoiding registration as a Copyright Society.

Our first session for the year saw questions from the team on whether claiming such exemptions are circumventing of Section 33 of the Act, the differing interpretation of Sections 18, 30 and 33 of the Act by Courts, the purpose of registration of Copyright Societies, etc.

The presentation can be accessed here.

ALG Attorneys gathered online to bid farewell to 2020 and usher in the new year. Each attorney shared a significant photograph they clicked last year (see a collage of all photos below), a positive development/memory from last year as well their resolution for 2021. Based on these, there was a guessing game for who had sent what, which led to many insights, laughs and revelations. The spirited team then raised a toast to all the positive memories from last year and to a healthier and happier 2021!