No longer a niche: Why IPR should be a core subject in law schools
IPR is increasingly central to technology, creative industries and business. Yet it remains largely an elective in law schools. Making it a core subject, supported by practical learning and internships, can better prepare future lawyers for the knowledge economy
The world around us has changed significantly over the last two decades. Innovations that go beyond any single sector have deeply influenced how business is conducted across the world. Innovations like the internet, mobile phones and smartphones have clearly enabled multiple players to see business opportunities that have resulted in a plurality of commercial apps and platforms through which trillions of dollars’ worth of business are being done. The Bharat Deep Tech Report 2026 identifies that nearly USD 11.4 billion worth of private equity investments have been made in Indian deep tech startups between 2015-2026. At the core of such innovation lies an intangible asset known in common parlance as a patent, which is a privilege granted by states to incentivise innovators to openly disclose innovations in exchange for a brief period of monopoly. It is also relevant to note that nearly 140,000 patent applications were filed between April 2025-March 2026. This surge also points to the fact that many entities, including startups, have become more aware of the commercial potential of their innovations and of the need to safeguard their innovations from rivals.
Copyright has enabled and encouraged the creative industry to earn through music, books, motion pictures, reels, photos and many other creative forms. Business entities and celebrities have also found ways and means of popularising their brands through logos and trademarks. Design patents for the aesthetic value of a product and semiconductor protection for chips have enabled corporate entities to protect their investments from cheap counterfeits and rivals.
Intellectual property laws that protect intangible assets have become more significant in the last two decades. Globalisation and uniform trade norms like the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement) brought about the harmonisation of minimum standards of protection of intellectual property rights across the world.
IPR norms play a significant role in the technology and creative sectors and have been the key engine that’s driven deep-tech innovation and the growth of creative content in India. However, the emphasis on the IPR curriculum in legal education is still lagging in India. IPR remains at the periphery of legal education in India as it continues to be offered as an elective course in most law schools. Nevertheless, most National Law Schools and some elite private law schools have integrated IPR into their core courses, enabling students to understand the basics of IPR. Some law schools have also spun off undergraduate Honours Specialisation Programmes with an emphasis on IPR. The number of such programmes and law schools that have integrated IPR in their curriculum, though, remains small when compared to the number of recognised law schools in the country.
Even in law schools that offer IPR as a core course, it is observed that laws relating to patents, copyright, trademarks, designs, geographical indications (GI), traditional knowledge and plant variety protection are taught in a hurried manner as a single course without a solid theoretical foundation. Each of these intangible property rights has its own nuances, and a lack of deeper engagement with these IP rights leaves students with a superficial understanding of IPR. Deeper engagement with the various aspects of IPR in the form of multiple courses, along with meaningful internship opportunities, will enable students to gain a strong foundation in IPR along with practical insight into how it works. Given that today’s lawyers are living in the age of the knowledge economy and will have to deal with disputes in this field, it is important to ensure that IPR is taught as a core subject that can enable students to have a basic understanding of IPR with some practical insights.
From patents and trademarks to copyright and deep-tech innovation, IPR is shaping the modern economy. Yet legal education has not kept pace. Making IPR a core subject can prepare students for the growing opportunities and challenges of the knowledge economy
The writer is a Dean, BITS Law School; Views presented are personal.
