The rising pile of pending applications for patents — that has grown to 2.8 lakh — may finally start depleting with 288 new examiners reporting for work resulting in a trebling of the workforce.

“With the new batch of examiners finishing their training and joining work, we expect that more applications will be examined than filed from January onwards and the pending number will go down,” said Rajiv Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).

The workforce will increase to 589 once the entire batch of new recruits finish their training and join work.

The number of patent applications filed this year (April-November 2016) has declined to 29,415 against 31,325 in the same period last year because of a drop in foreign applications to 21,142 from 23,105 last year.

To increase awareness about IPs in the country, the DIPP has started a campaign for police officials as well as children.

A toolkit, jointly prepared by the Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM) and industry body FICCI has been launched to serve as a ready reckoner for police officials in dealing with IP crimes, specifically Trade Marks counterfeiting and Copyrights piracy, Aggarwal said.

In addition to details of offences under various laws, it provides checklists for registering a complaint and conducting search and seizures.

CIPAM in collaboration with the International Trademark Association will also launch an IPR awareness campaign for schoolchildren.

It would spread the message on IPRs in a creative and engaging manner, through the use of presentations and creatively illustrated posters and pamphlets which cover the basics on IPRs and the need to protect IPRs.

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