Faculty Lecture by Professor Prabuddha Ganguli on “Technology-Led Paradigm Shift in Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)” Organised by Centre for Law and Technology at The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS)
- Date: 24th January, 2026
- Venue: Room 201
Brief Biography of Prof. Prabuddha Ganguli: He obtained his B.Sc. in Chemistry from Bombay University while studying in the Institute of Science (Mumbai), M.Sc in Chemistry from IIT Kanpur and PhD in Chemistry from the Bombay University based on his research at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR). This was followed by postdoctoral research in Germany at the Johannes Gutenberg Universitat, Mainz as an Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Fellow and as Research Associate at Windsor University, Canada. He was Visiting Scientist at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in Mumbai in 1980, before moving to Industry in 1981. His professional career spans from academics followed by international industrial experience for 2 decades in Hindustan Lever Ltd and Unilever PLC (1981-2001) in diverse managerial roles such as R&D management, Factory Management, Corporate Information Security, Corporate Planning including Strategic Management of IPR and knowledge in Businesses. Since 2001, he has been managing his consulting firm as CEO of VISION-IPR offering services in Management of IPR and Knowledge Management. He was Honorary Scientific Consultant for Innovation and IPR matters to the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, Government of India from 2005 to 2017. He is a member of the national apex committee of the new initiative “Venture for IAG (Industry, Academia and Government) collaboration in Science & Technology to Augment its Access and Reach (VISTAAR)” set up by the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India. He is the Chairman of the RuTAG 2.0 Committee and the I-STEM Review Committee constituted by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, GOI. He is a member of the Advisory Committee of the DST, GOI. He isa a member of the Marg Darshak Committee of the National Institute for Research in Digital Health and Data Science (ICMR-NIRDHDS). He chairs the Expert Committee on Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge of the Department of S&T and Biotechnology, Government of West Bengal. He has been Consultant to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) since 2001. As a WIPO Consultant, he advises governments in Developing and Least Developed countries on creating and implementing their Innovation, IPR and Capacity Building programmes. He is Honorary Professor in Bhabha National Institute (HBNI). He is also Distinguished Honorary Professor at the Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, Vadodara and a Member of the Board of Governors and Emeritus Professor in the Vishwakarma University, Pune. He is Emeritus Professor and Adviser in the Assam Royal Global University. He was MHRD IPR Chair Professors in Tezpur University, Assam, Visiting Professor in the Rajiv Gandhi School for Intellectual Property Law IIT Kharagpur, Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) in the National Digital Library of India Project, Adjunct Faculty in IIT Jodhpur and Advisor to the Jodhpur City Knowledge and Innovation Foundation. He is Member of the Board of the Intellectual Law Practitioners Association (IPLPA) and the International Editorial Board of “World Patent Information. He has over 50 publications in technical fields, over 80 publications in IPR. He has authored 6 books in IPR. In February 2011 he was awarded “The Chemtech Pharma-Bio World Award for outstanding contribution in the field of “Intellectual Property”. In 2011 he was honoured with the Vigyan Sanstha Ratna Award by the Alumni Association of the Institute of Science, Mumbai. In 2014, the legal fraternity in India under the banner of “LEGAL ERA” honoured him with “The Lifetime Achievement Award”. In October 2014, The Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) Alumni Association conferred on him the “Excellence Award” for his contributions in Technology Management and IPR. The Global Intellectual Property Convention (GIPC) 2020 honoured him with the GIPC Award 2020 for Innovation and IPR. In November 2023, the “Legal Era” honoured him in the category of “IP Legends” as the IP Strategist of the Year 2023.”
Report on the Guest Lecture by Prof. Prabuddha Ganguli, on 24th of January, 2026.
The Centre for Law and Technology at NUJS organised a guest lecture by Prof. Prabuddha Ganguli, CEO of Vision-IPR and an IP expert and industry advisor, on the topic “Technology-led Paradigm Shift in Intellectual Property Rights.” The lecture was insightful and offered a broad understanding of how technological developments are reshaping intellectual property law.
Prof. Ganguli began by discussing the evolution of IPR and how legal frameworks have continuously adapted to technological change. He drew comparisons between jurisdictions, particularly the United States and the United Kingdom, on issues such as disclosure and novelty in patent law. Through practical industry examples, including cases involving Unilever, he explained how the concept of a “person skilled in the art” has evolved with technological advancement.
A major part of the lecture focused on Artificial Intelligence and biotechnology. Prof. Ganguli raised important questions about AI-generated works, their authorship, liability, and whether AI can be considered an inventor. He introduced the concepts of AI Agent and Agentic AI, which can learn and act autonomously, thereby challenging traditional legal notions of human agency.
One of the most engaging parts of the session was his discussion of AI’s personhood. He drew an analogy to the Indian Supreme Court’s reasoning in the landmark Ayodhya case, specifically to the jurisprudence regarding idols being treated as legal persons under Hindu law. Just as idols or even ships can have legal personality, he suggested that AI might also be understood through a similar jurisprudential lens.
The lecture also touched upon contemporary models of innovation, such as open-source licensing, including the Apache License and the role of institutions like the Linux Foundation, indicating a shift from proprietary to collaborative knowledge systems.
He concluded the lecture with a personal anecdote about his association with Prof. Ananda Mohan Chakraborty, who, in his later years, spoke about ‘evolutionary intelligence’ as an evolving and adaptive concept.
The lecture witnessed active participation from students from all the courses of the University, i.e., including BALLB, BScLLB, LLM (Data Science), LLM (Law & Technology) and other courses. The questions asked by the students post the lecture, especially, lead to a meaningful exchange of ideas on emerging trends in intellectual property law and practice. The interactive discussion provided valuable insights into the practical dimensions of IP in a technology-driven environment.
Overall, the lecture provided a nuanced and interdisciplinary understanding of how emerging technologies, especially AI, are challenging foundational assumptions of intellectual property law and demanding a rethinking of legal concepts such as authorship, liability, and personhood, reinforcing the idea that law, much like technology, must continue to evolve to keep pace with changing realities.
Photographs from the Faculty Lecture
Felicitation of Professor Prabuddha Ganguli during the Faculty Lecture at WBNUJS by Prof. (Dr.) Anirban Mazumdar, Professor of Law and Dean of Student Affairs.
Under-graduate & post-graduate students and doctorate scholars in attendance during the lecture by Professor Prabuddha Ganguli at WBNUJS
Interactive discussion session following the lecture, with active participation from faculty members and students.
Professor Prabuddha Ganguli elaborating on the impact of technological advancements on intellectual property rights.
Vote of thanks delivered by Prof. (Dr.) Anirban Mazumdar, Professor of Law and Dean, Student Affairs, WBNUJS, following the Faculty Lecture by Professor Prabuddha Ganguli.
Students in Attendance: 50
Volunteers:
- SWAPRABHA CHATTOPADHYAY (BA.LLB 5TH YEAR)
- ADRIJA SHUKLA (BA.LLB 5TH YEAR)
- TARUMITA BISWAS (BSc.LLB 2ND YEAR)
Faculty Advisor: Prof. (Dr.) Anirban Mazumdar, Professor of Law and Dean, Student Affairs, WBNUJS assisted by Malobika Sen, Teaching Assistant, WBNUJS.