Law should keep pace with ICE- Shourie

NEW DELHI: IPBA, an international association of business and commercial lawyers with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region is organizing its first ever annual conference in India. The theme of the conference this year being The Dawn of the ICE Age - Legal Issues arising from Convergence, the focus would be on issues related to the IT, Communications and the Entertainment (ICE) industries.

Arun Shourie, Union Minister for Disinvestment, IT and Communications inaugurated the Annual conference of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA). Speaking on the occasion, Shourie said that laws should keep pace with the lightening changes taking place in the ICE sector. With new products, technologies and concepts coming in, the legal complexities arising out from convergence should be addressed as soon as possible.

Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, would chair the main session on legal issues related to ICE on February 17, 2003. The speakers in this session would include Shekhar Gupta, Editor-in-chief, The Indian Express, Kiran Karnik, President, NASSCOM and NK Singh, Member Planning Commission. The sessions range from an intensive, day-long legal development and training committee program, to specific sessions on issues like Intellectual property and employment and Immigration law.

The organizers have also charted out a social program for the delegates. VN Khare, Chief Justice of India would be the chief guest at a format dinner on February 17, while Fali S Nariman, Member of Parliament and President of the Bar Association of India would deliver a special address.

Speaking on the occasion, Ravi Nath, the Chair of the India host committee and the president-elect of the Association, said, "It is a proud moment for us. This is not just the first Annual Conference of the IPBA to be held in India but also the first such conglomeration of lawyers that India will witness. Over 600 lawyers, hailing from different countries of the world and specializing in various jurisdictions, would interact with each other in India."