Steps Taken to Strengthen IPR Capibilities

During the 9th, 10th and 11th Five Year Plans, the Government has implemented the plan schemes of Modernization and Strengthening of Intellectual Property Offices (MSIPO) to streamline the functioning of the Office of Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (CGPDTM), which is responsible for processing of Intellectual Property Rights applications.

During the 11th Five Year Plan, the Government has established the Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Intellectual Property Management (RGNIIPM) at Nagpur to conduct the training programmes on Intellectual Property Rights.

The Office of Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks has taken the following steps to strengthen the process and creations of Intellectual Property Rights.

(i) The filing of Patents and Trademarks applications has been made online.

(ii) Almost all the old Intellectual Property (IP) records have been digitized and new records are digitized immediately.

(iii) Automated Electronic modules have been adopted to process the Patents and Trademarks applications which enabled achieving enhanced speed, accuracy and transparency.

(iv) The Information Technology infrastructures have been upgraded.

(v) The Office of Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks has now a dynamic website (www.ipindia.nic.in) which provides users free of cost access to exhaustive information on Intellectual Property matters.

(vi) The Office of Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (CGPDTM) regularly conducts Intellectual Property awareness programmes on its own and also in collaboration with other organizations in the country like Universities, Industrial Associations, Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC), National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) etc. for promotion of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) among stakeholders in the country. The Office of CGPDTM nominates its officers as resource persons for these programmes who give presentations on importance of IPRs and procedures for grant / registration of Patents, Designs, Trade Marks and Geographical Indications.

The Indian Patents Act is in conformity with its international obligations under the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Agreements.

The Patents Act was amended in three phases i.e. in 1999, 2002 and 2005 to make it TRIPS compliant.

This information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Dr. D. Purandeswari, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

DS/RK

(Release ID :95192)