The Central Monitoring System (CMS) Project Of India

April 2013 is the month in which Indian government wishes to implement the controversial and ambitious central monitoring system (CMS) project of India. The year 2013 is also the year where the intelligence infrastructure of India may also see a boost.

Till now the national counter terrorism centre (NCTC) of India has failed to take off the ground. Similarly, the national intelligence grid (Natgrid) project of India, crime and criminal tracking network and system (CCTNS), etc are also facing a similar fate.

On the front of cyber security infrastructure of India as well, there is little progress. We have no cyber security best practices in India and law enforcement and intelligence agencies are actually working in an improper manner while dealing with sensitive information.

Crucial projects and authorities like national cyber coordination centre (NCCC) of India, national critical information infrastructure protection centre (NCIIPC) of India, telecom security directorate of India, etc are still in pipeline.

Even on the legislation front, India is deliberately postponing enactment of relevant and crucial techno legal laws. For instance, the cell site data location laws in India and privacy issues must be suitably regulated by a new law. Similarly, the cell site location based e-surveillance in India and surveillance of internet traffic in India must also be part and parcel of a new legislation.

Parliamentary oversight of intelligence agencies of India is need of the hour as intelligence work is not an excuse for non accountability. Unfortunately, the intelligence infrastructure of India has become synonymous for non accountability and lack of oversight.

Recently the Aadhaar project of India was challenged in various courts around the nation. There are serious techno legal security issues with projects like Aadhar and they must be resolved as soon as possible. Further, projects like Aadhaar, CCTNS, Natgrid, CMS, etc must also be backed by proper legislation and parliamentary oversight.

The government has to maintain a balance between civil liberties like right to privacy and law enforcement requirements. If a provision mandating compulsory cell phone location tracking for all the phones and others is formulated, it would fell afoul of the constitutional and statutory protections in India.

As on date, phone tapping can be done only through the procedure prescribe under the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885. All passive phone tapings that are not authorised under the Telegraph Act are illegal and punishable. It is immaterial whether a law enforcement agency or private person is indulging in such activity as it would remain illegal and punishable for both in such circumstances.

The real problem is that the law enforcement and intelligence agencies of India are not subject to any practical and effective parliamentary oversight. Indian government must not only make them accountable to the parliament but also formulate new laws keeping in mind the contemporary requirements. The Telegraph Act has long served its purpose and it deserves a complete rejuvenation.

We must also not forget that we have no dedicated privacy laws, data protection laws, data security laws and cyber security laws in India. In these circumstances implementing the central monitoring system project of India would raise serious constitutional challenges and Indian government must avoid the same at all costs.

Central Monitoring System (CMS) For Telephone Tapping In India

The Central Monitoring System (CMS) Project of India is a “centralised mechanism” where telecommunications and Internet communications can be analysed by the Indian Government and its Agencies.

The CMS project of India is a good and ambitious project that is required to manage national security and law and enforcement requirements of the country. However, adequate “procedural safeguards” must also be established in the system so that it is not abused for political and personal reasons.

The telephone tapping laws in India are already weak and violative of constitutional protections. We are still following the colonial telegraph act that requires an urgent repeal. Further, the information technology amendment act 2008 made e-surveillance in India a regular phenomenon. The big brother in India must not overstep the limits.

We at Perry4Law Organisation and Perry4Law’s Techno Legal Base (PTLB) believe that a holistic and comprehensive law on telephone tapping in India as well as governing related aspects must be formulated in India. For instance, the cell site data location laws in India and privacy issues must also be covered by the proposed law. Similarly, the cell site location based e-surveillance in India and surveillance of internet traffic in India must also be part and parcel of the new legislation.

A national e-surveillance policy of India must be formulated that should cover both policy and legislative issues pertaining to CMS project and telephone tapping relating issues. Call data record (CDRs) must also be regulated and protected by adequate and strong laws.

Indian government has already started working in the direction of making the CMS project operation in the month of April 2013. A new mechanism will be put in place by the Indian government to eliminate the loopholes in authorised phone tapping by intelligence and enforcement agencies.

Under the proposed framework, a centralised mechanism would be adopted where the need to approach individual telecom service providers would be obviated. This would exclude the interaction with these service providers and make the entire process of telephone tapping more secure and leak proof. However, this would also result in abusing the telephone tapping mechanisms in the absence of adequate procedural safeguards.

The CMS project would be brought under the Department of Telecom (DoT) and will be manned by the Intelligence Bureau (IB). Some procedural changes have also been introduced in this process. For instance, a clear electronic audit trail of the phones tapped would be maintained. This would eliminate the traditional paper based trail procedure that is cumbersome and prone to leak. The entire phone-tapping system will also move to an electronic platform from the current manual system.

The CMS project, based in New Delhi, would also have four hubs in major cities of India. Proposal to curtail the discretionary power of agencies to listen into phone calls may also be implemented. The telegraph act may be suitable amended to reflect these changes.

As per the present regulatory framework, in cases of urgency the agencies can tap phones for seven days without obtaining permission. With the migration to electronic platform and adoption of CMS project, the request for sanctions will also be sent electronically which will cut down the time to obtain permission.

At Perry4Law and PTLB we believe that it would be even better if we ensure parliamentary oversight of intelligence agencies of India as well. Further, we also believe that it is high time to formulate a comprehensive and holistic telephone tapping and related law for India. We also understand that this is a very difficult and delicate task and may face stiff resistance from various quarters but the tough call has to be taken by Indian government immediately.

Source: Perry4Law Organisation Blog.

The Hacker News: Security In A Serious Way

If you are interested in reading serious cyber security and related news and views, the Hacker News is one of the best sources for the same. The security portal is also providing a magazine on this topic that is also of good quality.

The Hacker News (THN) is a privately owned Indian company based out of New Delhi, India and has been providing training and knowledge-based solutions since October 2011.

Originally founded in November 2010 by Mr. Mohit Kumar, The Hacker News has been internationally recognised as a leading news source dedicated to promoting awareness for security experts and hackers.

Supported and endorsed by administrators and members of various underground hacking groups and communities worldwide, The Hacker News (THN) has become a worldwide leader in information security.

Courts Automation Systems In India, E-Courts And Online Dispute Resolution

Indian courts have been using information and communication technology (ICT) for effective judicial functioning. New features like online cause lists, filing of cases on digital mediums like CDs, providing of judgments online, use of video conferencing, etc. are already being used by courts of India.

However, automation of courts systems in India is still far from satisfactory. We are still waiting for the establishment of first e-court of India. Till now India has been able to computerise some courts alone and e-courts functionalities are still missing.

For instance, courts automation and functionalities like e-filing, submission of notices and evidence, online cross examination, online cyber forensics support, etc are still missing.

At Perry4Law and Perry4Law’s Techno Legal Base (PTLB) we are managing the exclusive techno legal e-courts training and consultancy centre of India. This e-courts centre is also managing software repositories in the fields like courts automation, cyber forensics, cyber security, online dispute resolution, etc.

Further, the e-courts centre of India is also imparting techno legal trainings in the fields like cyber law, cyber forensics, cyber security, e-courts management, courts automation, judicial and legal integration system, legal management systems, e-discovery, etc.

Skills development and trainings for lawyers, public prosecutors, law enforcement agencies, judges and court master and staff is also undertaken by PTLB.

ICT can be used to bring judicial reforms in India. At Perry4Law and PTLB we believe that establishment of e-courts in India and using online dispute resolution in India for effective and alternative dispute resolution can not only bring the pending cases down but also help in providing speedy and economic justice to the litigants. 

The sooner e-courts are established in India and ODR is used for alternative dispute resolution the better it would be for the legal and judicial system of India.

Source: Legal Enablement Blog Of PTLB.

USPTO Grants Apple Trademarks For Its Retail Outlets Designs And Layout

Apple has been vigorously protecting its brand and trademark around the world. In one such example, the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) accepted Apple's request last week for trademarks on the minimalist design and layout of its retail outlets.

With a booming e-commerce in India, Apple must be planning to protect its brand and trademark in India as well. Apple has already showed its displeasure for the Asian region, especially in China. In 2011, authorities in the Chinese city of Kunming stopped 22 fake Apple stores from illegally using the company's trademarks after Apple lodged a complaint with authorities.

Since trademark is territorial in nature, Apple must also protect its interests in the Indian territory. Intellectual property rights (IPRs) in India are well known and India has a strong trademark law in the form of Trademarks Act, 1999.

Further, international registration of trademarks under Madrid Agreement and Madrid Protocol can also be explored by Apple. The Madrid Agreement and Madrid Protocol and its applicability and implementation in India are still in a flux.

Apple said in its application in May, 2010 that it was not claiming color as a feature of the mark. The mark consists of the distinctive design and layout of a retail store, it said.

Apple must be very careful while engaging in e-commerce activities in India. There are well recognised legal requirements to start an e-commerce website in India and the legal formalities required for starting e-commerce business in India. Similar regulatory requirements do exist in other countries as well.

For instance, Apple was recently fined in Beijing Court for unauthorised e-book sales. Similarly, there are many cyber laws due diligence requirements in India that companies like Apple must comply with in India in order to engage in legally sustainable e-commerce business activities.

There are many techno legal compliance requirements that e-commerce portals, including Apple, Amazon, E-Bay and others, must comply with. At Perry4Law and Perry4Law’s Techno Legal Base (PTLB) we believe that cyber law due diligence, Internet intermediary liability and cyber due diligence for Indian companies must be kept in mind by various e-commerce websites and players.

At the end of the day managing techno legal IP a requirement is of great importance to all concerned who are eying upon India as a market.

Source: IPR Services In India.

Renewal Of An Expired Trademark In India And United States

Trademark law of India is passing through an interesting and developmental phase. Recently Samsung has raised the issue of international exhaustion of a trademark under Indian trademark law. Similarly, trademarks registrations in India have also increased as India is becoming a favourite destination for commercial activities world over.

Trademark registration in India is regulated by the Trademarks Act 1999 of India. A registered trademark is valid for a period of 10 years that can be renewed for another 10 years at a time. Further, international registration of trademarks under Madrid Agreement and Madrid Protocol can also be explored by applicants. However, the Madrid Agreement and Madrid Protocol and its applicability and implementation in India are still in a flux.

There may be cases where a trademark holder fails to renew his/her/its trademark in time. Renewal of an expired trademark is the only option left in such cases. In India even if the mark has been expired, one can apply for its re-registration. If someone else applies for registration of expired trademark as per the prescribed procedure, owner of expired trademark can file objections at the registry, tribunal or appropriate forum.

In United States (US), to keep the registration alive or valid for all trademarks registrations, except for non Madrid Protocol based registrations, the registration owner must file specific documents and pay fees at regular intervals.  Failure to file these documents will result in the cancellation of his/her/its registration.

For Madrid Protocol Based Registration, after the protection is granted to the international registration and a U.S. registration issues, to keep protection in the U.S., the U.S. registration owner must file specific documents and pay fees at regular intervals. Failure to file these documents will result in the cancellation of his/her/its U.S. registration and the invalidation of protection of the international registration by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

Under Section 8 of the Trademark Act, 15 U.S.C. §1058, a §8 Declaration of Continued Use is required to be given by the trademark owner. The Declaration is a sworn statement, filed by the owner of a registration that the mark is in use in commerce. If the owner is claiming excusable nonuse of the mark, a §8 Declaration of Excusable Nonuse may be filed. The purpose of the §8 Declaration is to remove marks no longer in use from the register.

The USPTO will cancel any registration on either the Principal Register or the Supplemental Register if a timely §8 Declaration is not filed by the current owner of the registration during the prescribed time periods.  The USPTO has no authority to waive or extend the deadline for filing a proper §8 Declaration. Registrations finally cancelled after the expiry of permissible period due to the failure to file a §8 Declaration cannot be reinstated or revived.  A new application to pursue registration of the mark again must be filed.

Holders (owners) of registered extensions of protection to the U.S. (also called §66(a) registrations, registrations resulting from 79’ series applications, international registrations extended to the U.S.) who wish to maintain the protection granted their mark in the U.S. pursuant to the Madrid Protocol must file an affidavit or declaration of use in commerce or excusable nonuse to avoid cancellation of protection in U.S. Such affidavits are required pursuant to Section 71, 15 U.S.C. §1141k, of the Trademark Act.  The USPTO has no authority to waive or extend the deadline for filing a proper §71 Declaration.  Registrations finally cancelled after the expiry of permissible period due to the failure to file a §71 Declaration cannot be reinstated or revived.  A new application to pursue registration of the mark again must be filed.  

The holder of a registered extension of protection of an international registration to the U.S. must file an application for renewal of the international registration with the International Bureau (IB). Renewal of international registrations is governed by Article 7 of the Madrid Protocol and Rules 29 - 31 of the Common Regulations under the Madrid Agreement and Protocol.

A renewal can be filed during the six months before expiry of the period of protection or in the six months following the expiry of the current period of protection with the payment of a surcharge.

The term of an international registration is ten years, and it may be renewed for ten years upon payment of the renewal fee.

Perry4Law hope this information would be useful to all concerned stakeholders.

Source: IPR Services In India.

Is Online Gambling And Betting Legal In India?

As a leading techno legal ICT law firm of India, Perry4Law is frequently approached for numerous techno legal issues. One of them pertains to e-commerce laws and regulations in India.

Recently many queries have been raised about the applicable online gambling laws and regulations in India.  We have also observed that e-commerce legal compliances in India are not followed in true letter and spirit. This may be due to lack of knowledge about applicable e-commerce laws but ignorance of laws is no excuse.

If e-commerce players do not follow the laws of the land, they may found themselves in uncomfortable situations. For instance, cyber law due diligence, Internet intermediary liability and cyber due diligence for Indian companies are some of the issues that have been ignored by almost all e-commerce players of India.

Coming back to the burning issue whether online gambling and online betting is legal in India or not? We have already covered the legality of online gambling and betting in India and other e-commerce compliance requirements in India but we would briefly cover the same once again.

The golden rule for deciding whether online gambling in India is legal or nor has to be judged by many factors that depends upon the facts and circumstances of each case and upon state to state. There are many states in India where gambling is legal and few where even online gambling and betting is legal. However, there are some states like Mumbai where online gambling is expressly prohibited and made a punishable offense. So it depends upon the state where you wish to carry the online gambling and betting business.

Then there is the rule of skills versus chance as laid down by the courts of India. As a general rule, where the game involves application of skill on the part of the player and the element of chance is minimal, the activity would be considered to be a game and not an act of gambling. However, the applicability of this test of skill versus chance may not be applicable to online or Internet games, betting and gambling as various judicial decisions pertaining to different sets of facts and circumstances and can be distinguished easily in subsequent litigations.

Finally, economic and taxation legislations like tax laws of India, anti money laundering laws, etc are also involved while operating online casinos, online gambling and betting and online gamming platforms.  The provisions of these economic legislations are very stringent in nature and can cause great detriment to the owner or operator of the online casino, gambling and betting website.

To be on a safer side, it is better to comply with various techno legal laws of India while opening an online gambling, gaming and betting platform rather than facing the punitive provisions of Indian laws.

Source: E-Commerce Laws and Regulations In India.

E-Commerce Compliances In India

E-commerce is the latest entrepreneur bandwagon in India. Thousands of e-commerce portals have emerged during the year 2012. However, in the zest of earning profit, legal and compliance requirements pertaining to e-commerce have been totally ignored by almost all the e-commerce portals.

The most vulnerable categories that have opened their online shops pertain to online pharmacies, online gambling and gaming, electronics, etc. These e-commerce portals are not at all complying with the respective laws of these segments.

Even the Indian government is lax in implementing the regulatory and compliance requirements against these illegal online pharmacies, gambling portals and other similar e-commerce platforms.

This has posed serious threat to not only lives of millions but also to the socio-economic and law and order situation n India. Regulatory bodies covering these fields must be more vigil while keeping a tab upon illegal and unethical activities of those e-commerce portals that are flouting the laws of India.  

There are many techno legal compliance requirements that e-commerce portals of India must comply with. At Perry4Law and Perry4Law’s Techno Legal Base (PTLB) we believe that cyber law due diligence, Internet intermediary liability and cyber due diligence for Indian companies must be kept in mind by various e-commerce websites and players.

Presently, cyber law compliances, due diligence and techno legal compliances are not followed by various e-commerce websites in India. There is an urgent need to scrutinise these e-commerce portals and prosecute the guilty for violations of Indian laws.

It would amount to adoption of double standards by Indian government if it plays harsh upon foreign companies but leaves Indian companies and e-commerce portals untouched. Let us hope Indian government would do the needful in this regard as soon as possible.

Source: E-Commerce Laws In India.

Online Gambling Laws And Regulations In India

Online gambling in India has aroused great interest among many e-commerce entrepreneurs of India. This is because online gambling is a very remunerative and profit oriented business. However, online gambling is also a complicated business filed as many laws and technical issues have to be resolved at the same time.

We have a central law on gambling called the Public Gambling Act of 1867. Similarly, we have many state laws on gambling that are mostly based upon the central law. Further, almost all the state laws are regulating real world or offline gambling in India. The exception in this regard can be found in the laws applicable in places like Goa and Sikkim.

Recently Goa has made its casino laws very stringent keep in mind the money laundering, black money and tax evasion issues in mind. Similarly, Sikkim is also in the process of harmonising its laws with the central laws.

As far as judiciary is concerned, the Supreme Court of India has made a distinction between skills based and chance based gaming activities. Of course, each case depends upon its own facts and circumstances and the respective state law and we cannot apply one decision uniformly in all cases of gambling and online gambling. 

The e-commerce laws and regulations in India are still at the infancy stage. As a matter of fact, a majority of e-commerce portals and players in India are not following the laws of the land in true letter and spirit. Surprisingly, there is a general misconception among the e-commerce players of India that for running an e-commerce website in India they need not to follow much law. On the contrary, there are well recognised legal requirements to start an e-commerce website in India and the legal formalities required for starting e-commerce business in India.

The chief among these e-commerce players are online pharmacies, online gambling and gaming portals, electronics e-commerce websites, etc. They fail to understand that use of technology has brought additional legal issues that are primarily techno legal in nature. Their continued ignorance may bring civil, criminal and financial penalties. The recent spate of FDI crackdowns by India government proves this point.

At Perry4Law and Perry4Law’s Techno Legal Base (PTLB) we believe that cyber law due diligence, Internet intermediary liability and cyber due diligence for Indian companies must be kept in mind by various e-commerce websites and players. The skill and chance and state subject legal arguments are not sufficient to comply with complicated techno legal requirements of India as on date. So before launching an e-commerce portal, the concerned person or company must make it sure that techno legal requirements are duly complied with.

Source: E-Commerce Laws And Regulations In India.

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Legal Issues India

Optical character recognition (OCR) is one of the most important stages of e-discovery or cyber forensics process. OCR is the process where images of handwritten, typewritten or printed text are converted into machine-encoded text using the mechanical or electronic conversion.

The main purpose of OCR is to digitise printed texts so that they can be electronically searched, stored more compactly, displayed on-line through virtual data rooms, and used in machine processes such as machine translation, text-to-speech and text mining. OCR is also very important for presenting and defending claims and obligations in civil and criminal proceedings.

OCR, e-discovery and cyber forensics are sometimes combined while investigating financial frauds and crimes, serious frauds, forensics audit, white collor crimes, corporate frauds, fraud risk analysis, IT and cyber frauds, etc.

However, there are certain techno legal issues that must be taken care of while engaging in the OCR activities. If these techno legal issues are not followed properly, the end OCR product may not be admissible in a court of law or other investigation.

Further, only relevant material must be converted into legally admissible electronic records, including OCR. A proper chain of custody must be maintained at all stages of converting printed and other text documents into digital documents and OCR.

There is no sense in converting the entire paper based document s in to electronic format as not all electronic versions would be relevant to the case or investigation. Even lesser electronic records and OCR would be held admissible in a court of law.

According to Perry4Law and Perry4Law’s Techno Legal Base (PTLB) the most important attribute while engaging in the OCR exercise meant for litigation purposes is to first ascertain the relevant documents and then convert them into digital format keeping in mind the admissibility criteria while following proper chain of custody. 

If you are interested in our techno legal services, you may contact us in this regard. See our techno legal services, cyber forensics services, US, UK and EU laws compliances, etc in this regard.

Source: E-Discovery Services In India.