Celebrating 20 Years of IP Excellence

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Why do Inventors Invent?

First Publication Date: 1st February 2010. Abraham Lincoln said, "Patents add fuel to the fire of genius". The role of the patent system is to encourage inventors by providing them incentives to give life to their ideas. As Lincoln rightly stated, the patent system provides the necessary encouragement to an inventive mind rather than creating one through its incentive system. The nature of the role played by the patent system in setting inventive minds in motion has been the subject of…

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The image depicts a quill dipped in ink bottle. The post is about expression of ideas. Click on image to view post.

Idea Expression Dichotomy

This post was first published on January 22, 2011. We all love reading. Fiction, Non- fiction, Self Help, Post Modern Literature,  Verse, and Limericks -our tastes vary. It’s a point to be noted that the authors of the books we love reading so much write exercising the faculties of their brains, ideas stemming from their brains and then expressing it in words, putting it in paper. Therefore, it’s very important that the authors have full right over their creation. But,…

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Why Don’t You Want to be an IP Attorney? – Five Reasons

This post was first published on June 12, 2012. IP profession is fun and enjoyable for many reasons. However, there are some reasons that sometimes bog you down. a. Scary Deadlines Scary deadlines are first in that list. Every IP action is linked with a deadline and more often than not missing these deadlines is fatal. For people, who believe in Indian Stretchable Timings, these deadlines can be killing and nerve wracking. b. Dealing with…

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Start-up

Relevance of IP to Business

This post was first published on 6th August, 2013.   It has been made amply clear in this column earlier that Intellectual Property (IP) can be an important tool for businesses to build, consolidate and grow. Having said that, considering the hype given to the subject, it is easy for a SME to misconstrue its potential and value. So, I wish to start this note by reiterating that IP is only one, among many layers that can form part of a company's…

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The image is of a well lit Christmas tree. The post is about attempts to patent Christmas lights. Click on image to view post.

Christmas deLIGHT

This post was first published on 23rd December, 2011. It's December! The month of the Holy festival of Christmas. The whole world has geared up for the big celebrations. Christmas is celebrated as traditional birthday of Jesus Christ, the central figure of Christianity. Christmas trees, Christmas lights, Christmas Carol, Christmas cakes and so on are some inherent parts of Christmas celebration. The focus of my blog is on Christmas lights. The tradition of Christmas lights was started by the people…

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Intellectual Property

Nature of Business and IP

This post was first published on 6th August, 2013.   In the last column, addressing the relevance of IP to business, I pointed out that assessing the value of IP to a business requires a multi-factorial approach. Among others, the nature of business forms one of the fundamental factors for the said analysis. Businesses are of different types, and so are forms of Intellectual Property. Therefore, integrating the two, not surprisingly, requires the right mix and match to maximize value. For an…

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Intellectual Property

Simple Steps to Plug IP Drainout

This post was first published on 6th August, 2013.   Start-ups and SMEs are often focused on building business and staying afloat in the competitive market that more often than not they miss out on taking simple measures that can go a long way in protecting their IP that forms the crux of their business, from people who deal with it every day. Signing of appropriate employment agreements is one among many such simple steps in safeguarding IP and is extremely important for…

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This image depicts several figures in a business conference. This post talks about SMEs and their opportunities. Click on the image to read the full post.

The IP Story of Small Enterprises in India

This post was first published on May 22nd, 2012. Value of IP, notional or real, is well recognized in India today. Thanks to the efforts of the government, many people know about patents and processes related to them. After so many training and awareness programs, one would imagine that small enterprises are IP savvy and their house is in order. Unfortunately, that does not seem to be the case in ninety-nine percent of such entities. On taking a…

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This image depicts a magnifying glass. This image is relevant because this post talks about factors to be taken into consideration before choosing your Intellectual Property service provider. Click on the image to view full post.

Be Wise in Choosing Your IP Service Provider

This post was first published on 2nd February, 2011. Intellectual Property Services is not a business of a few anymore. With the  development of the IT and other R&D based business, there are any number of IP Service providers mushrooming around the IT and BP hubs. Therefore, there is a huge number to choose from and a person in need of such services is obviously sceptical about making the choice. We are currently in the age of information and it…

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This image depicts evolution form apes to human beings. This post describes the history and evolution of the trademark system. Click on the image to read the full post.

History and Evolution of the Trademark System

  First Publication Date: 7th January 2011   History of (trade)marks Dating back to those barbarian times where majority of people could not read or write is when symbols became a logical method of letting people know, what belonged to whom? The earliest marks were that of marking of animals, so a farmer, rancher or lord could distinguish what animals belonged to whom. As commerce developed, marks began to serve a number of purposes. ‘Potters mark’ of Greek and Roman times appeared…

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