“Niti Aayog proposes ‘National Strategy for AI’, Flash Electronics, India files infringement suit against Royal Enfield, China in talks to join The Hague Agreement, Republic of Estonia celebrates 100th Anniversary of the Estonian Patent Office, Joint study by EPO and EUIPO explains why SME’s who implement IP show better growth and more patent news” presented by the Patent attorneys and experts of BananaIP Counsels, India’s leading Patent Firm.
Quote of the Week
“Obtaining and maintaining a patent is a lot like playing chess, strategy is often the key” – Gaurav Mishra, BananaIP Counsels
Indian Patent Statistics
A total of 923 patent applications have been published in the 21st issue of the Patent Journal, 2019. Out of the 923 applications published in the journal, 117 applications account for early publications while 806 applications account for ordinary publications or publications occurring after the 18 – month period. A total of 221 applications have been granted last week as compared to 279 grants in the week preceding the last.
Early Publications
| City | Previous Week | This Week | Percentage of change |
| Delhi | 13 | 34 | 161.53 decrease |
| Mumbai | 68 | 32 | 52.94% decrease |
| Chennai | 115 | 47 | 59.13% decrease |
| Kolkata | 6 | 4 | 33.33% decrease |
| Total | 202 | 117 | 42.07% decrease |
Ordinary Publications
| City | Previous Week | This Week | Percentage of change |
| Delhi | 294 | 213 | 27.55% decrease |
| Mumbai | 71 | 47 | 33.80% increase |
| Chennai | 431 | 461 | 6.96% increase |
| Kolkata | 36 | 130 | 261.11% increase |
| Total | 832 | 806 | 3.12% decrease |
TOTAL PUBLICATIONS (Previous Week): 1034
TOTAL PUBLICATIONS (This Week): 923
Percentage difference: 10.73% decrease
First Examination Report (FER statistics)
A total of 998 FER’s have been issued last week. Applicants and their agents can check if any of their patent applications have been examined by referring to the journal available here.
| City | No. of FER Issued |
| Delhi | 405 |
| Mumbai | 205 |
| Chennai | 289 |
| Kolkata | 99 |
| Total | 998 |
PUBLICATIONS UNDER GRANT
| City | Previous Week | This Week | Percentage of change |
| Delhi | 89 | 90 | 1.12% increase |
| Mumbai | 44 | 32 | 27.27% decrease |
| Chennai | 108 | 45 | 58.33% decrease |
| Kolkata | 38 | 54 | 42.10% increase |
| Total | 279 | 221 | 20.78% decrease |
Number of Applications published based on applicant city
Of the total 923 patent applications published in the journal last week, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkata have contributed a total of 105 applications. The total applications from each of the previously mentioned cities are as follows – 31 applications from Delhi, 50 applications from Bangalore, 8 applications from Chennai, 4 applications from Hyderabad and 1 application from Kolkata.
| List of Cities | 1st January 2019 to 24th May 2019 | 18th May 2019 – 24th May 2019 |
| Delhi | 460 | 31 |
| Mumbai | 282 | 11 |
| Bangalore | 560 | 50 |
| Chennai | 509 | 8 |
| Hyderabad | 179 | 4 |
| Kolkata | 123 | 1 |
Total number of applications published by the Indian Patent Office from the 1st of January 2019 till date: 17152
- Early publications: 1837
- Ordinary Publications: 15315
Total number of patents granted by the Indian Patent Office from the 1st of January 2019 till date: 7901
- Delhi – 2819
- Mumbai – 1114
- Chennai – 2620
- Kolkata – 1357
Indian Industrial Design Statistics
The designs office has registered a total of 195 designs this week. The total designs registered from the 1st of January 2019 till date now adds to a total of 5994 applications.
Total designs registered in the previous Week: 393
Total designs registered this Week: 195
Percentage Difference: 50.38% decrease
Total designs registered from the 1st of January 2019 till date: 5994
Indian Patent News
Niti Aayog proposes ‘National Strategy for AI’
Government think tank Niti Aayog has proposed a plan for the development of Artificial Intelligence in India. The proposed plan aims to set up a sound institution framework and draft transparent policies in order to ensure the advancement of AI. India recently emerged as one of the top patent filers in AI related technology according to a WIPO report. Keeping this in mind, the Niti Aayog has presented a cabinet note in order to provide an amount of 7,500 crores. The funds will be used to establish five Centers of Research Excellence (CORE), twenty International Centers for Transformational Artificial Intelligence (ICTAI) and a cloud computing platform called AIRAWAT. It has also recommended to set up a high-level body in order to monitor the implementation of its objectives and responsible allocation of funds.
Patent / Design Infringements, Disputes, Licensing and Settlement
Flash Electronics, India files infringement suit against Royal Enfield
Flash Electronics, a company engaged in the manufacture of electrical auto components has filed a patent infringement suit against Royal Enfield, in the USA. The Indian company has alleged infringement of its patent titled “Regulator Rectifier Device and Method for Regulating an Output Voltage.” A patent for the invention was granted on 20th February, 2018, after which Flash Electronics has been the central manufacturer and supplier of the component. Managing Director of Flash Electronics Sanjeev Vasudev stated that in the year 2018, the company was approached by officials from Royal Enfield in order to settle the issue. The officials also requested the company to refrain from instituting a law suit. He said “Flash waited for the outcome of this meeting but Royal Enfield did not address the issue.” Apart from a patent in the US, Flash has been granted patents in UK, Sweden, Spain, France, Germany, Italy Austria, Netherlands and Switzerland.
International Patent News
China in talks to join The Hague Agreement
The National Intellectual Property Administration (NIPA) of China is presently negotiating terms with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in order to join The Hague Agreement. Since 1985, China has observed a considerable rise in the number of applications that provide protection to industrial designs. In the year 2018, 709,000 applications were filed in the country.
The Hague Agreement, first adopted in the year 1925, has over 70 contracting states, it allows industrial designs to be protected in multiple countries and regions with minimal formalities.
Republic of Estonia celebrates 100th Anniversary of the Estonian Patent Office
On May 23rd 2019, the Estonian Patent Office celebrated its 100th Anniversary, at its headquarters. Director General of WIPO, Francis Gurry and the president of the European Patent Office, Antonio Campinos attended a conference that was organized in order to celebrate the milestone. The theme of the conference was – AI and Smart Economy. The Estonian Patent Office was established in the year 1919, with the formation of the Republic of Estonian as a state. Back then, an official overlooking the procedures for patents was appointed by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The office now operates under the Ministry of Justice that primarily implements national economic policies in the field of industrial property.
Joint study by EPO and EUIPO explains why SME’s who implement IP show better growth
According to a recent study conducted by the European Patent Office (EPO) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), Small and Medium Sized Enterprises who invent in patents, trademarks and designs show high chance of growth when compared to those do not. In the EU, SMEs account for over 99% of businesses and contribute 57% of EU’s GDP. Going by numbers, the majority of income generated by SMEs come from a specific number of High Growth Firms (HGF) that engage in the protecting and using their Intellectual Property. Further, according to the report, SMEs that invest in at least one form on Intellectual Property are 21% likely to show growth in the future. SMEs that file for IP rights at European Union Patent Office have an even greater likelihood of about 17%, with the potential to become an HGF. For information on the official report, click here.
Authored and compiled by Vibha Amarnath & Gaurav Mishra
About BIP’s Patent Attorneys
Led by Senior Partners, Somashekar Ramakrishna, Nitin Nair and Vinita Radhakrishnan, BIP’s Patent Attorneys are among the leading patent practitioners in the country. They work with clients such as Mahindra and Mahindra, Samsung, HCL, Eureka Forbes, and Titan. They specialize in IT/Software, Electronics/Telecom, Mechanical, Automotive, and Bio/Pharma domains, and help clients with patent filing, prosecution, management and strategy in India, and across the world.
The weekly patent news initiative is a part of their pro bono work, and is aimed at spreading patent awareness. You are free to share the news with appropriate attribution and backlink to the source.
If you have any questions, you may write to BIP’s Patent Attorneys – contact@bananaip.com
Also read: Weekly Patent News – 20 May 2019
