Thursday, December 20, 2007

Patent Filings in India [Update]

The total number of patent filings by residents in India per million population was 3.40 in 2004-05 as compared to the world average of 250.72 worked out on the basis of the world population (6377.6 million) as per data given in the State of World Population 2004: United Nations Population Fund Report and the number of patents filed worldwide during 2004 (15,99,000) as per data given in World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Patent Report: Statistics on Worldwide Patent Activity, 2006 Edition.

The number of patents in force in India in 2004 was 6,406, while it was 1,82,385 in China. The world average of patents in force in 2004 was 846.71 worked out on the basis of the world population (6377.6 million) as per data given in the State of World Population 2004: United Nations Population Fund Report and the number of patents in force worldwide during 2004 (5.4 million) as per data given in World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Patent Report: Statistics on Worldwide Patent Activity, 2006 Edition.

There were a total of about 5.6 million patents in force worldwide in 2005 as per World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Patent Report: Statistics on Worldwide Patent Activity, 2007 Edition. However, this number includes patents obtained in different countries for the same invention also. Therefore, it will not be feasible to draw a conclusion on the proportion of patents in force in India vis-à-vis those in force worldwide. However, the number of Patents in India in force was 6857 in 2005.

The efforts made by the Government to strengthen the processes that help creation of Intellectual Property Rights in India are as under:

(i) A scheme of Modernisation of Intellectual Property offices at a cost of Rs.153.00 crore was implemented during the 9th and 10th Five Year Plans for Infrastructure development, computerization, human resource development and training and awareness.

(ii) Four new integrated Intellectual Property Offices were set up in Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai.

(iii) Work for the setting up of the National Institute of Intellectual Property Management at Nagpur has commenced.

(iv) E-filing of Patent applications has been made operational with effect from 20th July, 2007.

(v) Seminars/Conferences/Workshops at national and international level have been organized for creating awareness and promotion of Intellectual Property Rights.

Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) have been signed between India and France, United States of America, United Kingdom, European Patent Office, Japan, Switzerland and Germany for cooperation in the field of Intellectual Property Rights.

(vi) This information was given by Dr. Ashwani Kumar, Minister of State for Industry, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

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