Analysis of the Intellectual Property Rights (Imported Goods) Enforcement Rules, 2007

The Customs Act, 1962 prohibits import of those goods that infringed intellectual property. Under Section 11, the Central Government can prohibit import or export of goods that infringed patents, trademarks or copyrights, by issuing a notification. It also covered prevention of contravention of any law for the time being in force. Further, Section 111 and 113 of the same Act empowered the Customs to confiscate such imported and exported goods, respectively.

Previously the Central Government made several endeavours at issuing notifications in this respect.  One such notification was released in 1960 that prohibited export through sea and land of goods that attracted Section 78 (Penalty for applying false trade marks, trade descriptions, etc.)  and Section 117 of the Trade and Merchandise Marks Act, 1958 (The Central Government may by notification require that any goods specified in the notification imported into India shall indicate the country in which they were made or the name and address of the manufacturer of the said goods)

In 1864, there came another notification that prohibited goods bearing false trade mark, false trade description or any kind of passing off.

On May 8, 2007, the Central Government issued Notification No. 49/2007-Customs (N.T.),  that prohibited the import of the following goods, subject to conditions and procedures as specified in the Intellectual Property Rights (Imported Goods) Enforcement Rules,2007:

1) goods having applied thereto a false trade mark as specified in section 102 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999 (Trade Mark conflicting with a geographical indication)

2) goods having applied thereto a false trade description within the meaning of clause (i) of sub-section (1) of section 2 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999;

3) goods made or produced beyond the limits of India and intended for sale, and having applied thereto a design in which copyright exists under the Designs Act, 2000;

4) the product made or produced beyond the limits of India and intended for sale for which a patent is in force under the Patents Act,1970;

5) the product obtained directly by the process made or produced beyond the limits of India and intended for sale, where patent for such process is in force under the Patents Act 1970;

6) goods having applied thereto a false Geographical Indication within the meaning of section 38 of Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999;

7) goods which are prohibited to be imported by issuance of an order issued by Registrar of Copyrights under section 53 of the Copyright Act,1957. (Importation of infringing copies)

The Intellectual Property Rights (Imported Goods) Enforcement Rules, 2007 came into existence to strengthen the statutory and executive guidelines provided for the protection of intellectual property rights at the borders. These  Rules have been formed based on the line of TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) and WCO (World Customs Organization).

Under the Rules, infringing goods are defined as “goods which are made, reproduced, put into circulation or otherwise used in breach of the intellectual property laws in India or outside India and without the consent of the right holder or a person duly authorized to do so by the right holder”. The rules define intellectual property law as “the Copyright Act, 1957, the Trade Marks Act, 1999, the Patents Act, 1970, the Designs Act, 2000 or the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999”.

Procedure

An intellectual property right holder shall give notice in writing to the Commissioner of Customs or any Customs officer authorized in his behalf by the Commissioner, requesting for suspension of clearance of goods alleged to be infringing intellectual property rights, accompanied by fees of Rs. 2000/-. This notice should be given in the format prescribed in the Annexure to the Rules prescribed and the data required  to be filed in the notification should be furnished within 15 days.

Further, the notice should be registered or rejected within 30 working dates from the date of receipt of the notice or date of expiry of the 15 days period provided for furnishing the data required to be filed with the notice. Once the notice is registered, the minimum validity period shall be one year unless the intellectual property right holder requests for a shorter period of customs assistance.

The notice shall be registered following the stipulated conditions:

1)  The right holder shall execute a bond with the Commission of Customs for an amount with the surety and security as appropriately deemed by the Commissions along with an undertaking to protect the importer, consignee and the owner of the goods and the competent authorities against all liabilities and to bear costs towards destruction, demurrage and detention charges incurred till the time of destruction or disposal.

2) The right holder shall execute an indemnity bond with the Commission of Customs indemnifying the Customs against all liabilities and expenses on account of suspension of the release of the suspected infringing goods.

The Custom Authorities can suspend clearance of suspected goods if the Deputy/Assistant Commissioner of Customs has a reason to believe that the imported goods are allegedly goods infringing intellectual property rights. Thereafter, the Deputy/Assistant Commissioner of Customs shall immediately inform the importer and the right holder of the suspension of clearance of the goods and shall state the reasons for such suspension. These suspended Goods, on the basis of a notice given by the right holder, can be released if the right holder fails to join the proceedings within a period of ten working days (extendable by another 10 days) from the date of suspension of clearance. In case the clearance of goods was suspended on Customs own initiative, then such suspected goods shall be released within five working days from the date of suspension of clearance, if the right holder fails to give notice or fails to execute the bond. In case of perishable goods, the period of suspension of release is three working days, extendable by another four days.

In a scenario where the Deputy/Assistant Commissioner of Customs determines that the goods detained or seized have infringed intellectual property rights, and have been confiscated under section 111 (d) of the Customs Act, 1962, he shall destroy such goods under official supervision or dispose them outside the normal channels of commerce after obtaining ‘no objection’ or concurrence of the right holder. The right holder can raise objection on the mode of disposal within 20 working days (extendable by another 20 days) after having been informed so.

The Department of Customs has a website for online recording of intellectual property where online IP recordation database with their risk management division has made it easier and effective to communicate with officers dealing with imported cargo. On this recordal, Customs has successfully made seizures. After seizure, the Enforcement Rules have also given the power of adjudication on related matter to Customs. Recently, in the case of S. Ram Kumar, Commissioner of Customs, Mumbai, decided on the question of patent infringement, holding against the patent holder.

It is pertinent to note that  the goods infringing intellectual property rights are not to be re-exported in unaltered state.  Further, where goods of a non-commercial nature contained in personal baggage or sent in small consignments are intended for personal use of the importer, such goods are exempted from the purview of the Rules.

Conclusion

Such infringing or counterfeiting goods have a drastic impact on the right holder and thus, on the market economy. It is important on part of the Government to extend the purview of the Rules to enforce controlling of all kinds of infringing goods. Not only should the law be stringent, but also complete co operation from the side of the right holders is necessary to eliminate the existence of counterfeit goods in the market.

About the Author: Ms. Madhuri Iyer, Trade Mark Attorney at Khurana & Khurana and can be reached at: Madhuri@khuranaandkhurana.com

Follow us on Twitter: @KnKIPLaw .

Leave a Reply

Categories

Archives

  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • September 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010