Indian patent office granted 1 lakh patents in past year

Indian patent office granted 1 lakh patents in past year

Subject: Science and tech

Section: IPR

Context: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry said on Saturday that the Patent Office has granted an unprecedented one lakh patents within a single year.

Details:

• As per an official release, in the fiscal year 2023-24 alone, the Patent Office received an all-time high of 90,300 patent applications.
• The Patent Office granted over one lakh patents in the last 1 year (15-Mar-2023 to 14-Mar-2024). Every working day, 250 patents were granted, the ministry said.
• Alongside patent grants, there has been a notable surge in GI registrations, demonstrating a threefold increase compared to the previous year. Currently, India boasts 573 registered GIs, with 98 new registrations in the fiscal year 2023-24, according to the release.
• Additionally, copyright registrations have reached a record-breaking 36,378, underscoring the vast potential within the creative sector.
• In the realm of design, the fiscal year 2023-24 witnessed the highest number of registrations to date, totalling 27,819, alongside the final disposal of 30,450 applications.
• Noteworthy initiatives such as Toycathon, jointly organized by J&K SCERT and the Indian IP Office, have facilitated the registration of 115 novel designs by J&K school students, according to the release.
• The Trade Marks Registry has also redoubled its efforts to expedite trademark protection, committing to issuing examination reports within 30 days of receiving trademark applications.
• In parallel, the National Intellectual Property Academy (NIPAM) has played a pivotal role in raising IP awareness, offering training to 24 lakh youths, particularly students and teachers, across over 7,000 institutions in the last two years.
• The announcement coincided with the official notify of the Patent R The announcement coincided with the official notification of the Patent Rules, 2024, which introduces several provisions aimed at simplifying the patent prosecution and maintenance processes.
• These rules are poised to streamline the acquisition and management of patents, thereby nurturing an environment conducive to innovation and economic growth.
• Notable features of the revamped rules include provisions for acknowledging inventors’ contributions through a new ‘Certificate of Inventorship’ and reducing the time limit for filing examination requests to accommodate the fast pace of technological advancements, read the press release.

Concept:

What is a patent?

• A patent is an intellectual property right.
• A patent is an exclusive right granted for an invention, which is a new product or process that meets conditions of novelty, non-obviousness, & industrial use.
• A patent provides the owner with the right to decide how – or whether – the invention can be used by others.

Criteria for issuing Patents in India

• Novelty: it should be new (not published earlier + no prior Public Knowledge/ Public Use in India)
• Non obviousness: It must involve an inventive step (technical advanced in comparison to existing knowledge + non‐obvious to a person skilled in the relevant field of technology)
• Industrial use: It should be capable of Industrial application
• Patents in India are governed by “The patent Act 1970” which was amended in 2005 to make it compliant with TRIPS.

What cannot be patented?

• Frivolous Invention: Invention that harms public order/Morality/ health of animals, plants & humans
• Methods of agriculture or horticulture
• Traditional Knowledge
• Computer Program
• Inventions related to Atomic Energy
• Plants & Animals
• Mere discovery of scientific principle

Patent (Amendment) Rules, 2020

• The central government has published an amended Patent (Amendment) Rules, 2020.
• The new rules have amended the format of a disclosure statement that patentees & licensees are required to annually submit to the Patent Office.
• The format contains disclosing the extent to which they have commercially worked or made the patented inventions available to the public in the country.
• The disclosure is to be made in the Form 27 format as prescribed under the Patent Rules, 2003.
• The patentees & licensees as well as the Patent Office have blatantly disregarded this statutory requirement.
• There has been significant pressure from MNCs & the U.S. to do away with this requirement.

What is a Geographical Indication?

• It is an indication that it originates from a definite geographical territory.
• It is used to identify agricultural, natural or manufactured goods
• It is an insignia on products having a unique geographical origin and evolution over centuries with regard to its special quality or reputed attributes.
• It is a mark of authenticity and ensures that registered authorized users or at least those residing inside the geographic territory are allowed to use the popular product names.
• GI tag in India is governed by Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration & Protection) Act, 1999. It is issued by the Geographical Indications Registry (Chennai).

What is the benefit of registration of geographical indications?

• It confers legal protection to Geographical Indications in India
• Prevents unauthorised use of a Registered Geographical Indication by others.
• It promotes economic prosperity of producers of goods produced in a geographical territory.