India has strong legal framework to protect IP: Boeing

Even as a section of the US' corporate sector lobbies against India over protection of intellectual property rights, American aircraft major Boeing today said the country has a strong legal framework to protect such rights.

"In Boeing's experience, India has a legal framework that is adequate to protect IP with no known cases of IP violation involving Boeing's activities in the defense and aerospace sector," the American multinational said in its remarks submitted to US Trade Commission (USITC).

The USITC this week conducted a hearing in connection with its investigation "Trade, Investment, and Industrial Policies in India: Effects on the US Economy".

The statement from Boeing, which has major investment and research and development centres in India and has received orders worth billions of dollars in the aviation and defense sector, assumes significance in view of the fact that a section of influential American corporate sector has been lobbying at the Capitol Hill and the Obama Administration against India's intellectual property regime.

"A detailed review of Boeing's enterprise-wide activities in India, including the export of Boeing products, as well as sourcing activities, indicates an adequate IPR legal framework is in place for Boeing's aerospace and defense products in India," the statement said.

"Boeing has had a positive experience with Indian customers, partners, and suppliers on IPR protection. Boeing continues to monitor efforts by India's Ministry of Defense to indigenise defense production in India to reach strategic self-reliance," the company said in its four page submission.

According to the statement Boeing is the single largest producer, by dollar value, of US exports to India.

"Since late 2005, Boeing has secured contracts from Indian buyers worth tens of billions of US dollars, which is creating and will sustain at least an estimated 180 thousand US jobs in a high skill, high value industry over the delivery period of these contracts," the company said.

"India has emerged as one of the largest export markets for Boeing (5th largest for Boeing Commercial Airplanes and 2nd largest for Boeing Defense, in terms of market potential) and is a key market that Boeing will continue to develop in the future," it said.

Coming in strong defense of India's IP regime, Boeing said Indian laws applicable to the range of the company's business activities in India are comparable to IPR regulations in other developed countries, as India is a signatory to all major conventions and treaties on this subject.