As most of you will recollect SpicyIP has been lamenting for some time now about the lack of a digitised database on patents granted by the Indian Patent Office. In an inspired bid to give vent to our collective frustrations on this matter Shamnad came up with the idea of sending a SpicyIP I-Petition to the Government of India in regards this sorry state of affairs. The SpicyIP I-Petition was a huge success because so many of you signed up, even though some of you seriously risked drawing the ire of the patent office in your professional dealings with them. Our (That includes you!) efforts have not been in vain. The Hindu recently reported that the Government is finally in the process of digitising the patents database and that the database should be available by early 2009. Now we are aware that the bureaucracy has made these statements before, infact they’ve been making them since the 90s. However this time the Hindu report is not based on a GoI press release but on a press release of FICCI, a leading business chamber. FICCI is taking an active interest in the matter and is actively working with the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion to ensure that the database is digitised by the given deadline. Its good to see FICCI taking an active interest in the matter since business chambers usually have a much more forceful impact on the bureaucracy especially in matters of commerce and it is more likely now than ever before that we will soon have a digitised patent database.
Three cheers for all those of you who signed the SpicyIP I-Petition!
(Many thanks to Mr. Sabale and Yashavini for their inputs to this post)Below is the entire article:
Govt to digitise all patents granted so far: FICCI
New Delhi (PTI): The government is in the process of digitising all patents granted so far and will make it available for the public by early next year.
The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) will put the task of digitising the patent database on fast track and is likely to complete it by December 2008, making it available for online public access by January 2009, industry body Ficci said in a statement.
Nodal officers have been appointed to ensure that the work is completed as per the deadlines, it said.
Ficci has urged the government to create a database covering provisional and complete specifications, legal status of the patent application/patents, data concerning the patent applications/patents.
“Such database is required to weed out weak patents,” the chamber said.
Ficci and DIPP would set up a Working Group to suggest improvements in the working of Intellectual Property (IP) offices with regard to IT enabling and networking of operations and enhancing human resource capabilities.
The group, comprising representatives from industry, legal experts and the office of Controller General of Patents, Trade Marks and Designs, would seek to gear the IP offices to meet the increasing demands of trade and industry, it said.
Improvements in the working of IP offices have become imperative since Indian Patent office has been granted the status of International Search Authority and International Preliminary Examination Authority by World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), it said.
The patent office has already started e-filing of patent and trademark applications through its website. Besides workshops would be organised to sensitise users about the new system, the chamber added.
Three cheers for all those of you who signed the SpicyIP I-Petition!
(Many thanks to Mr. Sabale and Yashavini for their inputs to this post)Below is the entire article:
Govt to digitise all patents granted so far: FICCI
New Delhi (PTI): The government is in the process of digitising all patents granted so far and will make it available for the public by early next year.
The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) will put the task of digitising the patent database on fast track and is likely to complete it by December 2008, making it available for online public access by January 2009, industry body Ficci said in a statement.
Nodal officers have been appointed to ensure that the work is completed as per the deadlines, it said.
Ficci has urged the government to create a database covering provisional and complete specifications, legal status of the patent application/patents, data concerning the patent applications/patents.
“Such database is required to weed out weak patents,” the chamber said.
Ficci and DIPP would set up a Working Group to suggest improvements in the working of Intellectual Property (IP) offices with regard to IT enabling and networking of operations and enhancing human resource capabilities.
The group, comprising representatives from industry, legal experts and the office of Controller General of Patents, Trade Marks and Designs, would seek to gear the IP offices to meet the increasing demands of trade and industry, it said.
Improvements in the working of IP offices have become imperative since Indian Patent office has been granted the status of International Search Authority and International Preliminary Examination Authority by World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), it said.
The patent office has already started e-filing of patent and trademark applications through its website. Besides workshops would be organised to sensitise users about the new system, the chamber added.
This is positive step taken by the goverment, I appreciate all the petitioners and also Spicy IP spicing it up. Let us do it for the protection of Traditional Knowledge also for Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and for typical Indian style of foods and health drinks, otherwise it shall become difficult for the Indian people who are peace loving and intelligent only because of this traditional knowledge of healthy foods, all may be pirated or hijacked.