Under The Intellectual Property Review Call for Papers, the NLSIU Bangalore MHRD Chair on IPR invites intellectual property law journal submissions analyzing advances across patents, copyrights, trademarks, technology transfer, and Indian IPR legal framework articles.
Institutional Background and Editorial Mission
The Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), constituted by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India, at the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore, publishes its peer-reviewed flagship publication titled The Intellectual Property Review (IPR). Operating under the leadership of Professor Dr. T. Ramakrishna, MHRD Chair Professor on IPR at NLSIU, the journal provides an academic and practical forum for scholarly discourse on domestic and international property rights regimes.
The journal aims to bridge the gap between academic theory, legislative policy, and corporate legal practice. By soliciting high-quality contributions from legal scholars, judicial officers, practicing advocates, policy analysts, patent agents, and research students, the publication serves as an authoritative reference for academia, judiciary, and industry stakeholders.
Scope and Thematic Focus of the Journal
The editorial board invites original research contributions examining contemporary developments in intellectual property law with special emphasis on the interface between technology, innovation, public health, and commercial exploitation. Suggested thematic areas include:
- Patent Law and Pharmaceutical Innovation: Section 3(d) patentability standards under the Indian Patents Act, compulsory licensing regimes, evergreening challenges, and access to affordable medicines in developing economies.
- Copyright and Digital Technologies: Intermediary liability, digital rights management, artificial intelligence authorship, fair dealing exceptions in digital education, and anti-piracy enforcement mechanisms.
- Trademarks and Brand Protection: Well-known trademarks, domain name disputes, comparative advertising limits, trade dress protection, and trademark dilution doctrines.
- Protection of Traditional Knowledge and Biological Resources: The Biological Diversity Act framework, benefit-sharing mechanisms, protection of indigenous medicinal plants, geographical indications, and farmer rights under the PPVFR Act.
- IP Commercialization, Valuation, and Dispute Resolution: Technology transfer agreements, standard essential patents, FRAND licensing terms, and IP arbitration mechanisms.
Scholars examining regulatory disputes and statutory standards, such as those analyzed in statutory regulatory challenges in Refex Energy Ltd v Union of India, will find the journal's focus on legislative compliance particularly relevant. Similarly, researchers must adhere to rigorous research ethics and citation standards, aligning with the core academic and legal research standards in professional ethics.
Categories of Submission and Prescribed Word Limits
The Intellectual Property Review accepts manuscripts across five distinct submission categories to accommodate diverse research styles and depth of analysis. Word limits specified below are exclusive of footnotes, endnotes, and references:
- Articles (4,000 to 5,000 words): In-depth scholarly treatises providing an exhaustive examination of a specific IPR theme, identifying legislative gaps, and proposing concrete statutory reforms or policy recommendations.
- Essays (3,000 to 4,000 words): Analytical pieces addressing targeted legal dilemmas, policy debates, or emerging institutional challenges within the IP framework.
- Notes (Up to 2,500 words): Concise commentaries focusing on contemporary legal developments, recent legislative amendments, or practical industry issues accompanied by actionable solutions.
- Case Comments (2,500 to 3,000 words): Critical legal evaluations of landmark judgments from the Supreme Court of India, High Courts, the IPAB, or international tribunals, examining the ratio decidendi and broader jurisprudence.
- Book Reviews (Up to 2,000 words): Critical assessments of recently published literary or academic treatises in the field of intellectual property rights, evaluating methodology, content, and original contribution to legal scholarship.
Formatting Standards and Academic Guidelines for IP Law Papers
To ensure consistency across published volumes, authors must strictly observe the following academic guidelines for IP law papers:
- Typography and Spacing: The main body text must be formatted in Times New Roman, font size 12, with 1.5 line spacing. Footnotes and references must be set in Times New Roman, font size 10, with single line spacing.
- Abstract Requirement: Every manuscript must include an abstract of approximately 250 words summarizing the research objective, methodology, core arguments, and primary conclusions.
- Author Profile: A brief biographical note containing the author's full name, official designation, institutional affiliation, postal address, email address, research interests, and notable recent publications must accompany the submission on a separate page.
- Originality and Plagiarism Policy: All submissions must represent original, unpublished work. Simultaneous submission of the manuscript to other journals, books, or online platforms is strictly prohibited.
- Citation Methodology: Authors are expected to follow a uniform and recognized legal citation format, such as the Bluebook or Indian Law Institute style, ensuring complete attribution for statutory provisions, judicial decisions, treaties, and academic treatises.
Significance for Legal Researchers and Practitioners
Publishing in a recognized national law school journal offers significant visibility within the Indian legal community. For postgraduate scholars and faculty members, contribution to the MHRD Chair publication provides substantial academic credit. For corporate attorneys and IP consultants, presenting well-researched analyses of patent prosecution hurdles, copyright enforcement, and trademark licensing serves to shape future policy discussions and legislative amendments in India.
Editorial Review Process and Submission Procedure
Manuscripts submitted to the journal undergo a multi-tier peer-review process. The editorial committee conducts an initial screening for relevance, originality, and adherence to submission guidelines, followed by a double-blind peer review by subject-matter experts. Authors receive editorial feedback and recommendations for revisions prior to final publication decisions.
All submissions must be made electronically in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format. Inquiries regarding submission status, formatting queries, or thematic scope should be directed to the official editorial contact details:
- Recipient Email: nlsiprjournal@nls.ac.in
- Postal Address: MHRD Chair on IPR, National Law School of India University, PB No. 7201, Nagarbhavi, Bangalore, Karnataka 560072, India
- Telephone Inquiries: 080-23160532 / 080-23160533 / 080-23160535
- Official Website: www.iprlawindia.org and www.nls.ac.in