Russia, India set pact on IPR

Russia and India have agreed on the parameters of the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) agreement, relating to the cutting-edge technology in bilateral futuristic defence cooperation.

Defence Secretary of India, Ajai Vikram Singh told reporters here after his talks with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov and other high-ranking defence officials that Russians have agreed to make the IPR pact ‘prospective’ rather than ‘retrospective’, keeping in view the entire gamut of long-standing military-technical cooperation between the two countries.

‘‘Russians will no longer insist on the restrospective aspect of the agreement for which they have been pressing, so far. That has been removed from the agenda. Now the sides will focus, in principle, on two other aspects of the agreement, including the upgradation of the military equipment and procurement of spareparts,’’ Singh said.

He noted that India and Russia must sign IPR agreement which has been under discussion for some time ‘‘to ensure that the information in the possession of the sides do not go to any unauthorised third party.’’