Foundations and Future of Intellectual Property Law

Vintage Legal recently organised an intensive academic workshop titled “Foundations and Future of Intellectual Property Law”, conducted in collaboration with Mr. Shakti Priyan Nair, Managing Associate at RNA, Technology and IP Attorneys. The workshop was designed as a structured learning engagement aimed at helping students move beyond introductory exposure to Intellectual Property Law and toward a deeper, practice-oriented understanding of the subject.

The session adopted a concept-to-practice pedagogical approach, beginning with foundational principles of IP law and gradually progressing into advanced themes such as strategic protection choices, enforcement dilemmas, comparative legal perspectives, and the impact of emerging technologies on IP jurisprudence. Rather than limiting the discussion to statutory provisions, the workshop contextualised IP rights within broader frameworks of innovation, economic value creation, and public-interest balancing.

A major strength of the session was its interactive and dialogue-based learning design. Participants were encouraged to raise questions, test their understanding through situational examples, and critically reflect on contemporary legal issues. The discussion moved fluidly between legal doctrine, policy considerations, professional practice insights, and real-world illustrations drawn from literature, films, branding, technology, and creative industries.

The workshop also explored the dynamic and evolving character of IP law, particularly in areas such as:

1. commercialisation and monetisation of intellectual property
2. tensions between proprietary rights and public access
3. cross-border enforcement challenges
4. overlap and distinction between different forms of IP protection
5. the increasing relevance of IP strategy in business and startups
6. digital creativity, AI-generated content, and authorship questions

These themes were not treated as abstract academic debates but as issues that shape client advisory, litigation strategy, innovation policy, and industry practice.

An engaging part of the session included scenario-based discussion exercises, such as the exploration of copyright ownership in tattoo art, which prompted participants to apply legal reasoning to unconventional and contemporary creative contexts. This helped bridge the gap between classroom learning and the realities of professional decision-making in the IP domain.

The following participant reflections capture the learning impact of the workshop:

Devesh Dhasmana – NALSAR, Hyderabad
Devesh described the workshop as a meaningful integration of theoretical understanding and practical insight. He highlighted discussions on copyright, brand protection, fair use, transformative works, DRM, and enforcement mechanisms, along with exposure to key IP statutes and commercial avenues such as licensing and royalties. He shared that the session ignited deeper curiosity to explore IPR as a serious professional pathway.

Vaibhavi Mudliar – ILS Law College, Pune
Vaibhavi appreciated the analytical framing of patents, public-interest jurisprudence, and the comparative lens between the Indian and U.S. IP approaches. She noted that the exploration of overlaps between patents and designs, passing off, and trademark litigation strengthened her strategic and evidence-based understanding of IP disputes. She found the interactive tattoo-copyright exercise particularly engaging for applying IP principles to contemporary creative contexts.

M. Pranav Mruthyunjay – NUALS, Kochi
Pranav shared that the workshop was deeply informative and intellectually enriching, especially due to the interactive doubt-resolution segment. He valued the opportunity to raise specific and technical queries, stating that the insights gained will be highly useful not only during the internship, but also in future professional engagements in the IP domain.