India: IP Filing on the rise since Government’s strong steps towards IP Sensitization

Source: www.ipindia.nic.in

Statistics showing rise in IP registrations in India

‘India is committed to protect Intellectual Property Rights of all innovators and entrepreneurs and a comprehensive National IPR policy is being finalized’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured a gathering of British businessmen during his maiden trip to the UK back in 2015. His comments came at a time when several countries and multinational corporations want India to bring its IP laws at par with global standards.

The Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Office’), aims to meet requirements of constantly changing IP landscape and aspires to strengthen the culture of transparency, accountability and efficiency in its management. It endeavors to establish a vibrant and balanced IP regime in the country to support the country’s innovation and developmental objectives. The Office has undergone sweeping transformations due to various initiatives for easing of access to all stakeholders, augmenting efficiency in the processing of IP applications, accomplishing uniformity and consistency in the examination of application, strengthening transparency and dissemination of IP related information, nurturing bilateral co-operation at the international level and leveraging the level of IP awareness amongst the public.

Recently, the Cell for IPR Promotion and Management, released the new filing statistics of the IP Office for the year 2017-18 available over here.

Patents

During the financial year 2018-19, 47854 patent applications were filed exhibiting a slight rise of 3.2% in the filing as compared to the previous year. The trends of last five years in respect of patent applications filed, examined, granted and disposed are given below. Disposal of applications includes patents granted/ refused by the patent office and also applications withdrawn and abandoned by the applicants.

Further, during 2017-18, the number of patent applications examined increased by more than 100%, number of grant of patents increased by 55.3% and disposal of applications increased by 37.7%, as compared to 2016-17.

 

Source: Cell for IPR Promotion and Management’s IP Filing Statistics available over here.

Designs

During 2018-18, 11837 design applications were filed. The number of applications examined decreased by 1.5 % and the number of design registrations increased by 8% in 2017- 18 as compared to 2016-17.

 

Source: Cell for IPR Promotion and Management’s IP Filing Statistics available over here

Trademarks

In the past year, 272974 applications for trademark registration were filed at all five locations of Trade Marks Registry. The number of applications examined decreased by almost 85 %, whereas number of registrations of trademarks showed a phenomenal increase of 20%. Disposal of applications, which includes registered, refused, withdrawn and abandoned applications, increased by 150% as compared to 2015 -16.

 

Note:‘The drop in Trademark examination FY in 2017-18 is due to the elimination of pend-ency and examination of an application is just one month.

Source: Cell for IPR Promotion and Management’s IP Filing Statistics available over here

Copyright

During the reporting year, 23217 applications were filed, and 26195 applications were examined. A total number of 19997 Copyrights were registered. The trends in Copyright applications filed, examined and registered during the last three years, even since the Copyright Office was shifted under the aegis of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion are given below.

Source: Cell for IPR Promotion and Management’s IP Filing Statistics available over here