Lok Sabha Question No. 310 (STARRED), answered on 2024-12-17
Subject: Patent and Trademark Applications
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Shri Sribharat Mathukumilli

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

## LOK SABHA

STARRED QUESTION NO. 310.

TO BE ANSWERED ON TUESDAY, THE 17 TH  DECEMBER, 2024.

## PATENT AND TRADEMARK APPLICATIONS

## *310.  SHRI SRIBHARAT MATHUKUMILLI:

## Will the Minister of COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY be pleased to state: वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्री

- (a) the  details  of  total  number  of  applications  received  for  obtaining  patents  and trademarks along with the approvals granted during the last two years;
- (b) the details of patent filings and grants received from resident applicants for start ups, MSMEs,  higher  education  institutions,  research  institutes,  and  filings  from  nonresident or foreign entities, sector-wise; and
- (c) the details of legal enforceability of the patents granted and the measures in place to protect intellectual property rights effectively?

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

- (a) to (c): A statement is laid on the Table of the House

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## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 310 FOR ANSWER ON 17 TH  DECEMBER, 2024

- (a): Details of patent and trademark applications filed and granted over the past two years are as under:
- (b): Details of the sector-wise breakdown of patent filings and grants in the last two years are placed at Annexure A .
- (c): The details of legal enforceability of the patents granted and the measures in place to protect intellectual property rights effectively are as under:

| IP          | 2022-23   | 2022-23             | 2023-24   | 2023-24             |
|-------------|-----------|---------------------|-----------|---------------------|
|             | Filed     | Granted/ registered | Filed     | Granted/ registered |
| Patents     | 82811     | 34134               | 92168     | 103057              |
| Trade Marks | 466580    | 231977              | 476089    | 279717              |

## Legal enforceability of the patents

According to Section 11A of the Patents Act, 1970 (as amended), the patent owner enjoys the same privileges as if the patent were granted on the date of publication of the application. Therefore, patent owners can claim damages from the earlier of either the date of publication of the patent application or the date of infringement. However, a suit for infringement can only be filed after the patent has been granted.

Patent owners can seek remedies such as damages to compensate for financial losses  and  injunctions  to  prevent  further  infringement.  These  remedies  can  be pursued through civil litigation in the appropriate courts, which include High Courts and specialized Commercial Courts. The remedies may include: (a) damages to compensate  for  economic  losses,  including  royalties  and  other  financial  harm caused by infringement; (b) Injunctions-either temporary, to restrain the infringer during  legal  proceedings,  or  permanent,  to  prohibit  further  infringing  activities following  a  court's  final  decision.  These  remedies  play  a  vital  role  in  ensuring effective  protection  of  intellectual  property  and  deterring  unauthorized  use  of patented inventions.

However, India's patent enforcement system strikes a perfect balance by protecting patent owners' rights while safeguarding against misuse of the legal process. Patent holders  can  seek  remedies  like  damages  and  injunctions  for  infringement,  while individuals facing groundless threats of infringement can also seek reliefs, such as, declarations, injunctions, and damages under Section 106 of the Patents Act, 1970 (as amended). This balanced approach ensures robust protection of patent rights while preventing unjust legal actions.

## Recent Measures to Protect Intellectual Property Rights

1. The Commercial Courts Act, 2015 has significantly expedited the adjudication of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) cases in India. With strict deadlines, summary judgments, and case management hearings, the Act has successfully streamlined the process, ensuring faster disposals and enhancing the efficiency of commercial courts.  Further,  High  Courts  have  started  establishing  specialized  Intellectual Property Divisions (IPDs) to streamline the handling of IP-related matters. As of now, three High Courts, Delhi High Court, Madras High Court and Calcutta High Court,  have  set  up  specialized  IP  divisions.  The  Commercial  Courts  system

coupled  with  the  establishment  of  Intellectual  Property  Divisions  (IPDs),  has significantly enhanced the protection of IP rights in India.

2. The Government has undertaken a series of steps to strengthen India's IP regime. These include , inter alia, :
2.  National Intellectual Property Rights Policy to Foster a Dynamic, Vibrant, and Balanced IPR System
3.  Jan Vishwas Act to enhance the Ease of Living and Ease of Doing Business
4.  Amendments to IP Rules  to  Streamline  Application  Procedures,  Eliminate Delays and Simplify the Grant/Registration Process
5.  Manpower Augmentation for Timely and Quality Public Service Delivery
6.  Modernization of IP Office and  Implementation  of Online Filing  and Processing Systems
7.  Significant Fee Concessions for Startups, MSMEs, Educational Institutions and Natural persons
8.  Expansion of IP Education and Awareness Programs
9.  Expedited Patent Examination for Startups, MSMEs, Female Applicants, and Government Institutions/  Departments/ PSUs, Applicants Electing India as International Search Authority (ISA) for International Applications filed under Patent Cooperation Treaty(PCT) etc.
10.  SIPP Scheme to facilitate protection of Patents, Trademark and Designs of interested Startups, and Indian innovators/ creators and educational institutes using the services of the Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISCs) established in India
11.  Robust Grievance Redressal Mechanism.

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## ANNEXURE-A

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (b) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION 310 FOR ANSWER ON 16.12.2024.

## RESIDENTS

|        | MSME      | MSME         | MSME      | MSME      | STARTUP   | STARTUP        | STARTUP   | STARTUP   | EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTES*   | EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTES*   | EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTES*   | EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTES*   | NATURAL PERSON   | NATURAL PERSON   | NATURAL PERSON      | NATURAL PERSON      | OTHER THAN NATURAL PERSON*   | OTHER THAN NATURAL PERSON*   | OTHER THAN NATURAL PERSON*   | OTHER THAN NATURAL PERSON*   | OTHER THAN NATURAL PERSON*   | TOTAL          | TOTAL     | TOTAL     |
|--------|-----------|--------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|----------------|-----------|-----------|---------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|------------------|------------------|---------------------|---------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|----------------|-----------|-----------|
|        | 2022-2023 | 2022-2023    | 2023-2024 | 2023-2024 | 2022-2023 | 2022-2023      | 2023-2024 | 2023-2024 | 2022-2023                 | 2022-2023                 | 2023-2024                 | 2023-2024                 | 2022-2023        | 2022-2023        | 2023-2024 2022-2023 | 2023-2024 2022-2023 | 2023-2024                    | 2023-2024                    |                              |                              | 2022-2023                    | 2022-2023      | 2023-2024 | 2023-2024 |
| Filing |           | Grant Filing |           | Granted   | Filing    | Granted Filing | Granted   |           | Filing                    | Granted Filing            | Granted                   | Filing                    | Granted          | Filing           |                     | Granted Filing      | Granted                      | Filing                       |                              | Granted                      | Filing                       | Granted Filing | Granted   |           |
| 310    | 90        | 406          | 152       | 151       | 48        | 185            | 108       | 1882      |                           | 290 2581                  | 763                       | 2043                      | 459              | 2129             | 728                 | 1390                | 1161                         | 1533                         | 1735                         | 5776                         | 2048                         | 6834           | 3486      |           |
| 19     | 8         | 25           | 7         | 23        | 7         | 25             | 8         | 207       | 24                        | 337                       | 90                        | 174                       | 48               | 189              | 64                  | 186                 | 178                          | 157                          | 254                          | 609                          | 265                          | 733            | 423       |           |
| 210    | 53        | 278          | 119       | 405       | 116       | 561            | 135       | 5224      | 67                        | 8553                      | 370                       | 5315                      | 302              | 5404             | 627                 | 1067                | 914                          | 1746                         | 2179                         | 12221                        | 1452                         | 16542          | 3430      |           |
| 30     | 18        | 65           | 36        | 80        | 23        | 72             | 26        | 657       | 11                        | 815                       | 78                        | 804                       | 57               | 535              | 149                 | 247                 | 219                          | 544                          | 523                          | 1818                         | 328                          | 2031           | 812       |           |
| 161    | 36        | 159          | 64        | 226       | 50        | 259            | 111       | 892       | 76                        | 1362                      | 319                       | 872                       | 147              | 870              | 467                 | 413                 | 436                          | 624                          | 1319                         | 2564                         | 745                          | 3274           | 2280      |           |
| 42     | 14        | 37           | 31        | 78        | 23        | 69             | 41        | 948       | 53                        | 1247                      | 190                       | 652                       | 92               | 626              | 272                 | 230                 | 246                          | 311                          | 785                          | 1950                         | 428                          | 2290           | 1319      |           |
| 97     | 25        | 101          | 48        | 142       | 40        | 179            | 69        | 1932      | 40                        | 2637                      | 247                       | 1419                      | 196              | 1497             | 526                 | 207                 | 125                          | 304                          | 697                          | 3797                         | 426                          | 4718           | 1587      |           |
| 218    | 102       | 255          | 248       | 309       | 93        | 471            | 196       | 5305      | 138                       | 4823                      | 818                       | 2258                      | 675              | 2011             | 2045                | 1634                | 1358                         | 1565                         | 5557                         | 9724                         | 2366                         | 9125           | 8864      |           |
| 242    | 51        | 2095         | 89        | 602       | 53        | 725            | 53        | 2108      | 104                       | 951                       | 413                       | 1062                      | 392              | 1170             | 766                 | 828                 | 578                          | 1086                         | 1557                         | 4842                         | 1178                         | 6027           | 2878      |           |
| 1329   | 397       | 3421         | 794       | 2016      | 453       | 2546           | 747       | 19155     | 803                       | 23306                     | 3288                      | 14599                     | 2368             | 14431            | 5644                | 6202                | 5215                         | 7870                         | 14606                        | 43301                        | 9236                         | 51574          | 25079     |           |

NON-RESIDENT OR FOREIGN ENTITIES

| Sector                |   2022-23 |   2023-24 |
|-----------------------|-----------|-----------|
| Chemistry             |      5742 |      6199 |
| Polymer               |      1330 |      1284 |
| Computer &Electronics |      7842 |      8535 |
| Communication         |      7845 |      6655 |
| Electrical            |      2605 |      3071 |
| Physics               |      1486 |      1931 |
| Bio-Medical           |      2113 |      2266 |
| Mechanical            |      5816 |      6213 |
| Other Fields          |      4731 |      4440 |
| Total                 |     39510 |     40594 |

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