Making IPR career work: Chose wise to rise

In my last article, we discussed on how Intellectual Property Rights is emerging as a new career opportunity for students and professionals with Technology and Legal backgrounds in Today's Global world.

In this, article, I shall run you thru a window of opportunities to take up IPR as a profession and what are the best courses on offer by various Institutions in India and abroad.

As a student and a practitioner of IPRs, we are all aware that Technology is always ahead of law and with new domains of AI; ML coming in the concept of IPRs has become dynamic and even morefascinating among young students and professionals.

To begin with, one of the best beginner course on IPR is the DL 101 of World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), an UN Body on IPR, which is an online basic course on IPR which gives you a great insight in to IPRs and make your grey matter trigger. Coming, to Indian institution, the Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Intellectual Property Management (RGNIIPM) at Nagpur, offers a host of 1 day, 2 day and 5 days courses on IPRs on Patents, TM, Designs and Copyrights from basic to advance with a certification from the Indian Patent office, GoI which will help you in your daily office and IPR matters.

To take up full time courses on IPRs the best recommended will be the Rajiv Gandhi School of Intellectual Property Law, IIT Kharagpur, West Bengal. It is the first law school to be established in an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). It was set up in collaboration with the George Washington University Law School, Washington DC and is the only law school within the IIT system.

It is also the first law school in India imparting full-time Intellectual Property education along with other regular courses prescribed by the Bar Council of India. There are several Post Graduate Diploma in IPRs offered by the National Law schools from Bengaluru and other NLS. The one much in demand, started in 2004 is the PG Diploma in Patent Laws from NALSAR which continues to be a good course to opt for incase somebody is interested to practice deep in patents.

Many Universities like Osmania and other National University BHU, WBNUJS, Annamalai, Mumbai University are offering two yearsLLM specialisationin IPR, which will help professionals and students to make a good career choice.

Some of the famous foreign Universities which offer IPR courses are Brunel University London ,Swansea University ,University of Aberdeen, University of Glasgow and University of West London, Max Planck.

Further a few private law schools are also offering 1-year LLM, Masters in IP and Technology Law, like the Jindal Law school, Symbiosis, Amity etc along with two years courses on Masters in IPRs.

Once you have attain advanced knowledge through the above-listed programs, you will be ready to explore a wide range of work profiles across Research Organisations, Pharmaceutical Industries, IT, Automobile, Textile, Emerging Technologies etc, Moreover, if you want to establish your career in academia, you can pursue a PhD in Law with Intellectual Property Rights as a major. Enlisted are some work profiles you can chose upon graduating in IPR courseswhich enlists as an IP Counsel, IP Analyst, Legal Associate, Patent Analyst, Patent and TM Attorney.

The course fees for the Diploma, Masters and Basic courses can range from and approximate Rs 10,000/-only for specific courses to Rs three to five lakhs per annum depending on the college and the course and the country of education.

(The author is the Head Legal &IPR Resolute Group and Former Director CII, Telangana)