“Indian patent statistics, Interesting inventions, IIT Madras to host Shaastra Summit, Qualcomm forced to license its patents to rivals, USPTO’s new Sponsorship Tool to give other members access to the Patent Electronic System, USPTO grants a patent to a composition containing Cannabis and other Weekly Patent News updates,” presented by the Patent attorneys and experts of BananaIP Counsels, India’s leading Patent Firm.
Design Quote of the Week
“Design is the silent ambassador of your brand.” – Paul Rand, American art director and graphic designer, best known for his corporate logo designs, including the logos for IBM, UPS, Enron, Morningstar, Inc.
Indian Patent Statistics
A total of 540 patent applications have been published in the 45th issue of the patent journal. Out of the 540 applications, 54 applications account for early publications while 486 applications account for ordinary publications or publications occurring after the 18-month period. A total of 376 applications have been granted this week thereby marking an increase of about 106.59% in total grants as compared to the preceding week.
Early Publications
| City | Previous Week | This Week | Percentage of change |
| Delhi | 1 | 1 | — |
| Mumbai | 48 | 5 | 89.58% decrease |
| Chennai | 23 | 47 | 104.34% increase |
| Kolkata | 3 | 1 | 66.66% decrease |
| Total | 75 | 54 | 28% decrease |
Ordinary Publications
| City | Previous Week | This Week | Percentage of change |
| Delhi | 344 | 316 | 8.13% decrease |
| Mumbai | 88 | 14 | 84.09% decrease |
| Chennai | 201 | 141 | 29.85% decrease |
| Kolkata | 8 | 15 | 85.50% increase |
| Total | 641 | 486 | 24.18% decrease |
TOTAL PUBLICATIONS (Previous Week): 716
TOTAL PUBLICATIONS (This Week): 540
Percentage difference: 24.58% decrease
First Examination Report (FER) Statistics
A total of 2100 FER’s have been issued last week. Applicants and their agents can check if any of their patent applications have been examined by referring the journal available here.
| City | No. of FER Issued |
| Delhi | 687 |
| Mumbai | 362 |
| Chennai | 659 |
| Kolkata | 392 |
| Total | 2100 |
PUBLICATIONS UNDER GRANT
| City | Previous Week | This Week | Percentage of change |
| Delhi | 54 | 118 | 118.51% increase |
| Mumbai | 20 | 52 | 160% increase |
| Chennai | 74 | 118 | 59.45% increase |
| Kolkata | 34 | 88 | 158.82% increase |
| Total | 182 | 376 | 106.59% increase |
Number of Applications published based on applicant city
Of the total 540 patent applications published in the journal last week, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkata have contributed a total of 94 applications. The total applications from each of the previously mentioned cities are as follows – 14 applications from Bangalore, 7 applications from Mumbai, 7 applications from Delhi, 46 applications from Chennai, 16 applications from Hyderabad.
| List of Cities | 1st January 2018 – 9th November 2018 | 2nd November 2018 – 9th November 2018 |
| Delhi | 911 | 7 |
| Mumbai | 802 | 7 |
| Bangalore | 987 | 14 |
| Chennai | 634 | 46 |
| Hyderabad | 429 | 16 |
| Kolkata | 232 | 4 |
Total number of applications published by the Indian Patent Office from the 1st of January 2018 till date: 33537
- Early publications: 3228
- Ordinary Publications: 30784
Total number of patents granted by the Indian Patent Office from the 1st of January 2018 till date: 11659
- Delhi – 4355
- Mumbai – 1469
- Chennai – 3710
- Kolkata – 2315
Indian Industrial Designs Statistics
The designs office has registered a total of 140 designs this week. The total designs registered from the 1st of January 2018 till date now adds to a total of 7189 applications.
Total designs registered in the previous Week: 129
Total designs registered this Week: 140
Percentage Difference: 8.52% increase
Total designs registered from the 1st of January 2018 till date: 7189
Interesting Inventions of the Week
Invention 1 – SOLAR PUMP APPARATUS
Patent Application No.: 201817023088
Applicant: FUTURE PUMP LTD & PRACTICA FOUNDATION
Abstract: “A solar-powered pump is ideally suited for use in irrigation. The pump comprises a solar panel (1), flywheel (8) and other components that contribute to a reliable and steady outflow of water during operation. The solar pump is ideally suited for rural small-scale farming operations.” (The abstract has been provided as is and has not been corrected for errors)
Invention 2 – SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PATIENT-ENABLED BLADDER CONTROL
Patent Application No.: 201817029725
Applicant: INCUBE LABS, LLC
Abstract: “A system for controlling urination in a patient includes an implantable controller and an external device. The implantable controller includes circuitry and electrodes for stimulating the pudenal nerves in order to control urination. In addition, the implantable controller includes sensors for determining information on bladder fullness and for transmitting such information to an external device which is used for controlling the implanted controller. The external device will display when bladder filling exceeds a safe threshold level, allowing the patient and a caregiver to take appropriate steps to allow the patient to urinate.” (The abstract has been provided as is and has not been corrected for errors)
Invention 3 – HEALTHY CIGARETTE
Patent Application No.: 201741015536
Applicant: Kalyan Pasupathi
Abstract: “The present invention discloses a polyherbal formulation for use as a tobacco substitute for aiding in the cessation of tobacco use and also for preventing/treating various diseases. The formulation comprises of combination of effective amounts of leaves of Senna Indica, barks of Ficus Glomerata, seeds of Zingiber Officinale, seeds of Piper Nigrum, seeds of Piper Longum, leaves of Viola Suffruticosa, seeds of Solanum Jucuinea, leaves of Phyllanthus Niruri, seeds of Cubeba Officinalis, barks of Santalum Album, sheath without seeds of Terminalia Chebula, seed sheath of Myristica Offician Arillus, seeds of Peucedanum Graveolens, bark of Cinnamomum Aromaticum and leaves of Anisochilus Carnosus.” (The abstract has been provided as is and has not been corrected for errors)
Indian Patent Updates
IIT Madras to host Shaastra Summit in January, early next year
Shaastra Law Tech Summit – 2019, hosted by IIT Madras is all set to present an Intellectual Property Law Moot Court Competition, early next year. The theme of this year’s fest revolves around law and technology, comprising of everything from the latest technological developments, Artificial Intelligence to Law-Bots. The aim is to help the makers of new technology familiar with the laws of intellectual property, especially with those related to patents as one can only protect their inventions from being misused if they are aware of the existing laws. The four – day fest is said to take place between the 3rd and 6th of January, 2019, in the Indian Institute of Technology – Madras Campus. The IP Moot Court itself will take place between the 4th and 6th of January. Students studying LLB in the current academic year will be eligible to participate in the Moot Court. In order to get selected, students will have to form teams and submit their memorials. Apart from the Moot, the fest will also comprise of various lectures, panel discussions, workshops and seminars addressed by eminent dignitaries.
Patent /Design Infringements, Disputes, Licensing and Settlements
Qualcomm forced to license its patents to rivals
The US District Court in San Jose has passed a judgment directing Qualcomm to provide patent licenses to other chip makers as it was of the impression that not doing so would hinder competition in the market. The cellular chip manufacturer sold its chips and provided patent licenses to a number of smartphone manufacturers but refused to give access to its patent portfolio to its rival competitors like Samsung, Intel, Huawei and Media Tek. Qualcomm’s indispensable patent portfolio is said to consist of over 1,30,000 patents, worldwide. Providing access to its invaluable portfolio would result in hindering the ability of the company from claiming patent royalties based on the cost of the smartphone in which the chip has been installed. The Judge also bought to attention, a previous case where Qualcomm had accused Ericsson of discrimination when it refused to provide a license to its patented invention. If this decision is absolute, Qualcomm will receive a major blow on its turnover, however, on the brighter side, competition in the market will be restored.
International Patent News
USPTO’s new Sponsorship Tool to give other members access to the Patent Electronic System
The USPTO introduced a new tool called the Migration tool in October which replaced the Electronic Filing System (EFS-Web) and Private PAIR. The Migration Tool is available to both registered practitioners and independent inventors. Users can simply log in to their USPTO.gov website, opt for the two-step authentication method and follow the instructions provided on the screen. After this, the process of transferring information will take about 1-2 business days. Adding to this, in November, the USPTO announced the set – up of another tool called the Sponsorship Tool which has exclusively been made for registered patent practitioners. This new tool enables patent practitioners to sponsor other team members and staff to work on behalf of them by giving them access to the Patent Electronic System. The team members must have a USPTO.gov account and should opt for the two-step authentication system in order to be sponsored. On completion of the procedure, all sponsored persons will be able to use the Patent Electronic System.
Canada to join other countries that participate in The Hague Agreement
Canada has consented to be a part of The Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs that governs the international registration of Industrial designs. The Agreement essentially forms a system that permits industrial designs to be protected in several countries with nominal requirements. Canadian companies will now be able to register and protect their designs through an easy, quick and well-organized method all over the world. The Hague Agreement allows applicants from member countries to register up to 100 industrial designs in several jurisdictions using a single application, language and currency. The country might also join other international intellectual property treaties by WIPO like the Madrid Protocol, the Singapore Treaty, the Nice Agreement for Trademarks and the Patent Law Treaty. This will help Canadian corporations that intend to enter or expand their business in international markets. The Director General of WIPO, Francis Gurry said that WIPO was delighted to welcome Canada into the Hague System.
USPTO grants a patent to a composition containing Cannabis.
The USPTO granted a patent related to a composition of cannabis to a company named India Globalization Capital, on 6th November, 2018. The patent application numbered 15/104,554 titled “Cannabinoid composition for treating pain” was filed on 16th September, 2015 in the USA through a PCT Application. The USPTO finally granted the patent bearing no – US 10,117,891 B2. As the title describes, the invention comprising of a composition of cannabidiol (CBD – 27%), tetrahydrocannabiol (TCH – 63%) and cobalamin (Vitamin B 12 – 10%) is said to provide relief to any kind of pain. This combination can be used along with a topical cream for easy application, it is also safe for use on animals. The company is now looking forward to apply for FDA trials in order to obtain a license for its use in the commercial market.
Compiling Authors: Vibha Amarnath and Shravani Damodara
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 – [email protected];
