Lok Sabha Question No. 1975 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-03
Subject: Safeguarding the Intellectual Property Rights
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Manoj Rajoria

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT FOR PROMOTION OF INDUSTRY AND INTERNAL TRADE

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1975. TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, THE 3 RD  JULY, 2019.

## SAFEGUARDING THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

## 1975.  DR. MANOJ RAJORIA:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY be pleased to state:

## वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्री

- (a) whether the Government has taken concrete steps for improving the patent filing and for safeguarding the Intellectual Property Rights;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government is enabling and assisting the start ups for filing of patents; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## वाणिज ् य एवं उद्योग मंत्री ( श्री पीयूष गोयल ) THE MINISTER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (SHRI  PIYUSH GOYAL)

- (a) & (b): Yes Sir. The Government has taken several steps that have led to an improvement  in  patent  filing,  as  also  for  safeguarding  the  Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). Some of these steps, inter alia, are:
-  National IPR Policy for India was adopted by the Government of India  on  12th  May,  2016,  as  a  vision  document  that  lays  the future roadmap of IPRs in India. The Cell for IPR Promotion and Management  (CIPAM)  has  been  set  up  to  coordinate  the implementation of the National IPR Policy.
-  IP  awareness programmes have been undertaken in academic institutions, at both school and college level, as also for industry.
-  To  streamline  the  processing  of  IP  applications,  IP  procedures have been simplified and made user friendly by amendment to the Patents Rules in 2016 and Trademarks Rules in 2017.
-  Since 2014-15, the manpower has been augmented both in the Patent  office  and  Trademarks  registry  which  has  resulted  in major impact on pendency of IP applications.

In  the  year  2018-19, 15284 patents were granted, as against 5978 in the  year  2014-15.  In  the  same  period,  the  number  of  trademarks registered in a year has also gone up from 41583 to  316798. Domestic filing  of  patent  applications  has  increased  from  12,071  in  2014-15  to 17,163 in 2018-19, showing a 42% increase.

- (c) & (d): Yes Sir. The government has taken following steps, inter alia, to enable and assist startups for filing of patents:
-  Under  the  amended  Patents  Rules,  80%  patent  fee  reduction has been provided for startups as compared to large companies.
-  Under the Scheme for Facilitating Startups Intellectual Property Protection (SIPP), 208 Patent Agents have been empanelled as facilitators by the Controller General of Patents, Trademarks and Designs, to provide assistance to Startups in the preparation and filing  of  their  patent  applications  and,  subsequently,  during  the stage  of  prosecution  of  applications  before  the  Patent  Office. Fees of the facilitators  are  paid  by  the  Government  as  per  the norms of the scheme.
-  Startups  are  also  eligible  for  getting  the  processing  of  their patent applications expedited.

As on 31st May 2019, 1719 startups have availed the benefit of 80% fee rebate. Further, 512 startups filed for expedited examination of their patent application,  of  which  453  have  been  examined,  and  151  patents  already granted.

******