India and the International Copyright Conventions

Conventions Jaman H Shah It is clear by now that India's membership of the international copyright inventions has yielded it less benefit than it has taken away. What the conventions safeguard is not o much the author's right to reward and protection of intellectual property, but the commercial interests of the foreign copyright owners and publishers. What they amount to is the Western countries claiming an unrestricted right to exploit our markets, retarding in the process the development of indigenous book manufacturing activities. Past experience has shown that the advanced countries will brook no change in the provisions of the conventions which may limit their right in this respect. India and other similarly placed countries should, therefore, seriously consider withdrawing themselves from these conventions.