Department of Information Technology, MCIT has introduced a scheme, known as SIP-EIT (Support International Patent Protection in Electronics and IT),in order to provide financial support to Small and Medium Enterprises /Technology Start-Up companies for international patent filing in the area of information technology and electronics. International patent filing includes the PCT(Patent Cooperation Treaty) route or direct filing of the application in any country. However, the applicant has to justify his reasons for choosing a particular country.
The prosecution costs involved in international patent filings such as attorney fee, professional fee, statutory fee of patent office, examination fee, search fee etc shall be reimbursed upto Rs.15 lakhs or 50% of the total expenses incurred on filing each invention whichever is less.
The Department of Information Technology, MCIT has provided the details for applying for the scheme in SIP-EIT brochure.
Few of the prerequisites to apply for the scheme as mentioned in the SIP-EIT brochure are as follows:
- Small or micro small and medium enterprises / Technology Start-Up unites registered in India
- The investment in plant and machinery should not exceed INR 10 corers in case the enterprises are engaged in the manufacture or production of goods OR if the enterprises are a service provider investment in plant and machinery should not exceed INR 5 corers.
- The enterprises applying for the scheme has to provide In house R&D certificate from Division of Services and Intervention Research (DSIR) Technology OR Technology Incubation enterprises registered as companies with support under some government scheme.
The applicant can apply for the scheme at the time of international filing or after the filing. However, reimbursement will be provided only after the application is selected for the support. In case the application is selected, the reimbursement money shall to e transferred to the bank account of the company as provided by the applicant in the application form.
The application for the scheme shall be acceptable only if the patent application is filed and prosecuted by a registered patent agent having 5 year experience in the handling international patent applications.
Following are the Documents that need to be submitted by the company:
The applicant may also be requested to present his inventions by the Department of Information Technology, MCIT in the allocated centers to explain the Technical features of invention, commercialization plans or commercialization status of the invention, anticipated revenues from commercializing and potential markets for this invention.
Contact Smt. J Khurana / Dr AK Garg, HoD, Patent and IPR Division, Department of Information Technology, Electronics Niketan, 6, C.G.O.Complex, New Delhi 110003, Phone: 24301284/24301398, Email – jkhurana@mit.gov.in or agarg@mit.gov.in www.mit.gov.in for more details.
