Thread by @dravirmani

#PIP Western(& Indian?) foreign policy experts and foreign trade negotiators, believe that the economics of merchandise trade, is the same as the economics of patents/intellectual property and the economics of the digital economy, because they are clueless about the last two! p

2/pip Intellectual Property (#IPR): The public economics of #Patents clearly shows that the optimal length of a patent depends on two opposing effects. Greater duration increases the profits from innovation, but patents slow use of new tech & discourge further innovation...2/

3/pip Optimal patent length is diff for diff econ's & diff for diff industries(proved empirically). Optimal length is V diff for developed cntrys(US, EU) than for EMEs(India, Brazil, SA). There's no ec justification for US/EU imposing its view. Int rules must split the diff...4/

4/pip In #Telecom & #Digital econ, has new form of "economies of scale/scope,", which can lead to few large cos/cntrys controlling/monopolizing entire digital world, unless carefully #regulated (net neutrality).As USA has most of ths cos, it can regulate them for US benefit...5/

5/pip Indian regulator must have unfettered right to regulate the safety & security of Indian citizens data, incl those running indian cos, subject to Indian laws & judiciary. The USA(EU, Russia, China), have unfettered control over their own cos & data stored there...6/

6/pip We can't give USA/EU, the right to determine how data on Indians is used and where it can(or not) be stored. Data localization is 1 way to ensure complete Indian control. If US has another way, we are willing to negotiate as part of comprehensive set of digital rules.

7/pip India is a country of 1.38 bi people, 1/6th of World, not just any country. Data is about people, Social media is about people, global data & SM rules cannot be set to suit the interests of 350 mi in USA, or 450 mi in EU! "We know what's good for you" won't work in 21stC!

8/pip More on promoting #competition in the digital world, #monopolized by a few US companies, due to decades of regulatory forbearance (eg little attention to net neutrality & other externalities unique to the digital economy)

https://twitter.com/thesuniljain/status/1377747863233425408