Panel 1 - India's Trojan Horse in the Land of FOSS, 11AM Seminar Room 1 and 2, India International Center

Indian patent law, unlike law in countries like the US, Australia and Singapore, specifically excludes business methods, computer programme per se, mathematical methods and algorithms from patentable subject matter. Notwithstanding this statutory position, it is seen that, a number of patents have been granted in the area of software and business methods in India. This discussion will cover the patentability of software and computer programmes under the Indian Patent Act. It will focus on the exception to patentability provided under Section 3 (k), and various judicial precedents, amendments, Parliamentary Committee Reports, and Manuals of Patent Office Practice and Procedure. The discussion will surround the burgeoning number of software patents being approved, in spite of the explicit exception, and the impacts that software patents have on innovation and development in India. Lastly, the discussion will focus on the imbalance in the number of software patents granted to foreign entities as compared to Indian players, and the impact this has on the Indian tech industry.

Panellists - Mr. Venkatesh Hariharan (Public Policy Director of FOSS United), Mr. Prasanth Sugathan (Legal Director, SFLC.in), Dr. Nagarjuna G (Chairman, Free Software Foundation India), Ms. Swathi Sukumar ( Lawyer), Dr. V Sridhar (Prof of IT and Public Policy at IIITB). The panel will be moderated by Ms. Mishi Choudhary (Founder, SFLC.in)

This will be followed by a launch of the report 'Software Patents in India - Law and Practice'

Panel 2 - India's Tech-xistential Questions : Identifying and predicting regulatory patterns, 2PM, Seminar Room 1 and 2, India International Center

The Panel will undertake a multi-dimensional conversation about the technological advancements in India. This conversation will not only be in the context of the regulation of technology through legislative directions and policy initiatives, but also study the objectives, vision, and capacity of the public and private sectors. Against the backdrop of the Digital India Act, which seeks to replace the Information Technology Act, 2000 and further its scope to include emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Blockchain technology, and others, this conversation will be investigating and enabling the analysis of transformative undercurrents of the techno-legal space in India.

Panellists - Mr. Ashish Aggarwal (Vice President and Head of Public Policy, NASSCOM), Prof. Subodh Sharma (Associate Dean, Academics, and Pankaj Gupta Chair Professor in Privacy and Decentralisation, IIT Delhi), Dr. Karnika Seth (Advocate, Supreme Court of India) Ms. Mishi Choudhary (Founder, SFLC.in) and Mr. Rakesh Maheshwari (Senior Director and GP Coordinator, Cyber Laws and Data Governance, MEITY(Rtd.)) The panel will be Moderated by Mr. Chitranshu Tewari, Director of Product and Revenue, Newslaundry.

Please note that registration for the event does not guarantee invitation for physical attendance due to limited seating available. We request you to please join us online in case you don't receive an invitation.

SFLC.in Convergence