New Delhi, Dec 6 (PTI) The commerce and industry ministry has sought suggestions from various stakeholders on intellectual property rights (IPR) issues in the proposed comprehensive free trade agreement between India and Australia.

The initial part of the agreement - ECTA - has already been finalised and that would come into force from December 29 this year. Now both countries would start negotiations to widen the scope of that pact.

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In a communication to all stakeholders, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) said India is intending to initiate negotiations on a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement with Australia.

This would be a transformation of the Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) signed between India and Australia on April 2, it said adding towards this end, this department is required to have a scoping paper on IPR describing its contours.

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It added that "considering Australia to be a different market altogether, it is requested to provide your valuable inputs in respect of your area of concern and key asks which stakeholders would like us to take up with Australia".

The DPIIT has provided a set of questions on which it has sought comments till December 12.

It has sought comments on the areas of IPRs that are prime considerations for stakeholders in the context of the India-Australia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement. It also sought views on areas that stakeholders think the government should focus on with respect to IPR in its collaborative efforts with Australia.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)