Resolving patent wars through competition law
Financial Express, March 31, 2014

By Pradeep S Mehta

The recent orders of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) asking its Director General to investigate Ericsson’s alleged anticompetitive conduct raises issues lying at the crossroads of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and competition. The order also raises the issue of third-party access on fair and reasonable terms, which our judiciary is yet to comprehend. More...

Let’s regulate the regulators
The Hindu Business Line, March 29, 2014

By Pradeep S Mehta

Our regulatory architecture is a perfect mess. Line ministries design the law pertaining to the regulatory agency the way they please The Law Ministry, which needs to ensure coherence across similar laws, does not do so. Hence, the ambiguity over qualifications and period of the commission members; this varies from law to law. The terms of appointment vary from one sectoral regulator to another. Now, there’s a Bill that takes such issues head-on. More...

Why free trade agreements are ever more vital for India
Business Standard, March 22, 2014

By Bipul Chatterjee and Venugopal Ravindran

The direction of global trade is set to change as mega agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) come into force. The TPP includes 12 of the Pacific Rim countries including the US and Australia, whereas TTIP is between the US and the European Union. Respectively, they represent around 39 per cent and 60 per cent of the world GDP. They have the potential to adversely affect excluded countries such as India by diverting trade and investment away from them and weakening their positions in global value chains. More...