With the objective of promoting generation of inventions that can help in the fight against COVID-19, BananaIP earlier launched a free patent program for inventors of personal protection equipment, especially masks. We are now launching another free patent program for inventions aimed at COVID testing, prevention and cure (“COVID Inventions”). As a part of this initiative, BananaIP’s attorneys will search, draft and file patent and design applications in India with respect to COVID Inventions without charging any professional fee if the applicant agrees to take the Open COVID Pledge. For select inventions shortlisted by the firm’s team of experts, BananaIP will also bear the statutory fee.
Open COVID Pledge
The Open COVID Pledge was developed by a group of international scientists and lawyers (Open COVID Coalition), with the objective of accelerating rapid development and deployment of diagnostics, vaccines, therapeutics, medical equipment and software solutions during the COVID crisis. The Coalition includes the likes of Mark Lemley, Diane Peters, Jorge Contreras, and Mark Radcliff. The pledge requires adopters to make their intellectual property available free of charge for use in ending the COVID-19 pandemic. They may implement the pledge by licensing their COVID Inventions and solutions under an Open COVID License or a similar license of choice.
Different versions of standard Open COVID Licenses are available on the Open COVID Pledge’s website. They include licenses, which grant patent rights and copyrights in a single license as well as licenses for only patent rights or copyrights. Adopters may choose one of the provided licenses or create a license of their own that is compatible with the pledge. Intel’s Open COVID License has been listed on Open COVID Pledge’s website as a compatible license available for adoption.
Program Process
Businesses, research organisations or individuals interested in availing BananaIP’s program may do so by taking the following steps:
- Go to the Open COVID Pledge website (https://opencovidpledge.org/) and adopt the pledge;
- Fill the request form and provide basic information about your COVID Invention. To submit the form, you will be required to agree to make your intellectual property pertaining to the invention available under an Open COVID License.
Note: Please share only general information about the invention while submitting the form. We are not seeking invention details at this stage. Full information may be provided after executing an NDA. - On receiving your request, BananaIP’s team will review the information provided and connect with you to execute necessary confidentiality and services agreements.
- Once the agreements are executed, BananaIP’s attorneys will perform a search to ascertain patentability of your invention. Drafting and filing will be taken up thereafter if the invention is patentable.
- On completing the filing, BananaIP may make full information about the invention available on its website and other sources for adoption and use during the COVID crisis.
Eligible Inventions
The following types of inventions pertaining to COVID-19 are eligible for the free patent program:
- Vaccines
- Drugs, Therapies and Treatments
- Diagnostic Technologies and Methods
- Prevention Technologies and Methods
- Containment Technologies
- Support Applications and Technologies
- Medical Devices and Technologies
- Inventions based on Traditional Knowledge
Join the Open COVID Pledge
BananaIP Urges companies, research organisations and inventors to adopt the Open COVID Pledge, and contribute intellectual property for the fight against COVID-19.
References
- Open COVID Pledge, available at: https://opencovidpledge.org/, visited on 29th April, 2020.
