Students selected for international moot court competition to be sponsored by Centre: Shri Piyush Goyal

• Shri Goyal calls for strong AI regulatory framework to ensure ethical use and effective deployment
• Competition to take place from 7th February 2025 to 9th February 2025, has prize money of Rs 3.25 lakh
• Theme of the moot court competition is "Artificial Intelligence and Copyright"

Students selected for an international moot court competition on International Property Rights (IPR) will be sponsored by The Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (CGPDTM). This was stated by Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal during his address at the inaugural ceremony of Vidhi Pragati: National IP Moot Court Competition, 2025 today in New Delhi.

DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, in collaboration with Centre for Innovation, Intellectual Property, and Competition (CIIPC) and IPR Chair, National Law University Delhi is organising the Vidhi Pragati: National IP Moot Court Competition, 2025. This competition is designed for participants to increase their advocacy skills, work on contemporary legal issues, and gain comprehensive knowledge of Intellectual Property Laws, its enforcement, and the latest case laws.

There is a need to create a robust regulatory framework with legal and policy assistance to withstand the unethical use of AI and also support effective deployment of modern technology, he said. Shri Goyal noted that Artificial Intelligence is as good as the person who utilises its potential. He stated that technology can become a tool but can never substitute the human mind.

Speaking of the Moot Court Competition, the Minister highlighted the format’s practicality in helping the students refine their legal acumen and open their minds. He also noted that participation in this format will enable the scholars to become thinkers, thinkers into innovators and innovators into leaders.

Shri Goyal highlighted that copyright and Artificial Intelligence is at the crossroads of an uncertain future. We can either ethically use AI to our advantage in regulating copyright or unethical means can be used to violate copyright protection. AI can either add to creativity or it can disrupt the authorship of genuine innovators and their rights, he said. Minister Goyal noted that the Government is planning to engage with experts and young minds for suggestions on changes in regulations to adapt with modern technology.  

Elucidating on the innovation boost received in the Union Budget 2025, the Minister noted that 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) have been announced and Rs 20,000 crore announced as part of the Centre’s contribution in Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) Fund. He also highlighted the Rs 10,000 crore announced in the Budget for the Fund of Funds for startups and entrepreneurs to boost innovation. Shri Goyal also mentioned the Government academic initiative, One Nation One Subscription, to provide country-wide access to scholarly research e-journals to students. He also spoke about the AI for Education fund of Rs 500 crore allotted in the Budget 2025 for the academia, government and the private sector to collaborate to promote innovation.  

The Minister during his address suggested IPR to be made a mandatory subject in law colleges across the country. Law also needs to be understood by concepts of right and wrong in which AI can play an important role, he added.

Justice Shri Prathiba M. Singh, Judge, High Court of Delhi and Shri Himani Pande, Additional Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) graced the event as guests of honor.

The theme of the competition is "Artificial Intelligence and Copyright." This theme is of paramount importance in today's digital landscape, where the rapid advancement of AI technologies are fundamentally transforming the creative industries. As AI-generated content

becomes increasingly prevalent, crucial questions arise regarding authorship, originality, and the extent of copyright protection. This competition aims to nurture young legal minds, promote innovative thinking in intellectual property law, and underscore the importance of adapting copyright regulations in the context of artificial intelligence advancements. This competition presents an opportunity for the participants to critically engage with the challenges and opportunities that AI presents to the realm of copyright.

Scheduled to take place from 7th February 2025 to 9th February 2025, this premier event will witness participation from law schools across the nation, thus fostering a vibrant spirit of mooting and scholarly discourse. In anticipation of reassuring responses from across the law schools, a total of 26 teams are lined up to exhibit a battle of the best showcasing a sheer competitive spirit. With a prize pool of Rs. 3.25 lakh, this moot will sufficiently reward the investment of time and resources in the participation.

Artificial Intelligence and Copyright: competition underscores need for a robust regulatory framework to ensure ethical AI use and copyright adaptation. The announcement inaugurates Vidhi Pragati: National IP Moot Court Competition, 2025, themed Artificial Intelligence and Copyright, noting sponsorship of selected students by the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks and calling for a robust regulatory framework to ensure ethical AI use while addressing challenges to copyright authorship and originality; it also stresses government innovation and education measures and a proposal to make IPR a mandatory law subject.