According to a statement released by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry on Tuesday, Intellectual Property (IP) filings have climbed by 44% in the previous five years, from 4,77,533 in 202021 to 6,89,991 in 202425.
The greatest increase was seen in Geographical Indications (GI), which climbed by 380%, followed by Designs (266%), Patents (180%), Copyright (83%), Trademarks (28%), and Semiconductor Integrated Circuits LayoutDesigns (SICLD) with a 20% increase.
IP refers to creations of the mind, including as inventions, literary and artistic works, designs, and symbols used in business. These inventions are protected by law, often through patents, copyrights, and trademarks, which provide creators exclusive rights over their work and allow them to benefit financially from their creations.
IP laws and regulations have been revised to simplify and streamline the processing of IP applications, resolve discrepancies and bottlenecks, and increase the use of IT and digital technology.
The Indian government has implemented a number of initiatives to restructure the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) framework. The goal is to improve efficiency, reduce regulatory burden, and promote innovation, particularly among startups, micro, small, and medium-sized businesses (MSMEs), and educational institutions.
In the area of patents, timelines have been streamlined, and electronic filing of documents by patent agents has become compulsory. Applicants now get a 10% cost discount for internet submissions.
Key procedural changes include simplifying filing procedures for priority documents and Form 27 (statement on the functioning of patents), as well as reducing the requestforexamination period from 48 months to 31 months to expedite processing, according to the announcement.
The frequency of submitting working statements has been decreased from annual to once every three years, and the need for foreign filing information has been reduced.
According to the Ministry, large fee exemptions have been offered to Startups, MSMEs, and Educational Institutions.
The government has cut patent costs by 80% for startups, MSMEs, and educational institutions; a 75% fee reduction has been offered in design fees for startups and MSMEs; and a 50% fee reduction for trademark registration for Startups and MSMEs.
