The Hindu Business Line : Govt to digitise patents; online public access by Jan 2009

The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) has decided to digitise all the patents granted till date and open it for online public access.

DIPP has assured that the task of digitising the patent database would be put on fast track and is likely to be completed by December. The data is expected to be made available for online public access by January 2009.

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has urged the Government for creation of a database covering provisional and complete specifications, legal status of the patent application, oppositions filed and the ones that had been withdrawn, granted and rejected. FICCI had also sought decisions of the Controller on pre and post-grant patents oppositions, data concerning the patent applications, the ones covering inventions under Section 3D to be compiled.

“Such database is not only required for making “freedom to operate” decisions but also to effectively make use of opposition provisions so as to weed out weak patents,” said the FICCI statement.

FICCI and DIPP have set up a working group to help the intellectual property offices meet the growing demand of trade and industry. The interventions that the group would make would be related to enhanced IT and networking of operations and human resource capabilities in the IP offices.

The FICCI-DIPP Working Group on patents, designs and trademark system would comprise representatives from industry, legal experts and the office of Controller General of Patents, Trade Marks and Designs.

“Improvements in the working of IP offices have become imperative since the Indian Patent Office has recently been granted the status of International Search Authority (ISA) and International Preliminary Examination Authority (IPEA) by World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).

DIPP has assured full support to FICCI, which reveals the commitment of the Government to ensure quality and efficient service, which is competitive by international standards,” said the industry chambers in a statement.

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