“Technology to stop terrorists and infiltrators, Step counting shoes, Coca Cola’s interesting patent on water purification, Technology to help Parkinson’s affected persons, Interesting design of an Ambulance, WIPO-India Summer School, DIPP and Anna University establish Second innovation support centre in India, Apple v. Samsung, Amendments to Patent specification, Patent tip of the week and more weekly news updates,” presented by the Patent attorneys and experts of BananaIP Counsels, India’s leading Patent Firm.
Patent Fact of the Week
David Sanderson and Lee Brady, inventors of the Edible Underwear were initially denied patent protection by the USPTO on the grounds that “candy and pants were incompatible” and could not be considered as an invention.
Indian Patent Statistics
There has been a massive surge in the total number of patent applications that have been published this week by the Indian Patent Office. A total of 1786 patent applications have been published this week, of which, 141 applications account for early publications and 1645 applications are ordinary publications or publications occurring after the 18 month period. In contrast to the increased publications, the total number of grants have decreased this week by about 13.35%.
Early Publications
| City | Previous Week | This Week | Percentage of change |
| Delhi | 10 | 8 | 20% decrease |
| Mumbai | 1 | 70 | 6900% increase |
| Chennai | 26 | 32 | 23.08% increase |
| Kolkata | 3 | 31 | 933.33% increase |
| Total | 40 | 141 | 252.5% increase |
Ordinary Publications
| City | Previous Week | This Week | Percentage of change |
| Delhi | 344 | 357 | 3.78% increase |
| Mumbai | 168 | 560 | 233.33% increase |
| Chennai | 128 | 324 | 153.13% increase |
| Kolkata | 16 | 404 | 2425% increase |
| Total | 656 | 1645 | 150.76% increase |
TOTAL PUBLICATIONS (Previous Week): 696
TOTAL PUBLICATIONS (This Week): 1786
Percentage difference: 156.61% increase
PUBLICATIONS UNDER GRANT
| City | Previous Week | This Week | Percentage of change |
| Delhi | 147 | 119 | 19.05% decrease |
| Mumbai | 25 | 13 | 48% decrease |
| Chennai | 126 | 123 | 2.38% decrease |
| Kolkata | 54 | 50 | 7.41% decrease |
| Total | 352 | 305 | 13.35% decrease |
Number of Applications published based on applicant city
Of the total 17866 patent applications published this week, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi and Hyderabad have contributed 360 applications in total. The total applications from each of the previously mentioned cities are as follows – 94 from Mumbai, 61 from Bangalore, 64 from Delhi, 50 from Chennai, 22 from Hyderabad and 69 from Kolkata.
| List of Cities | 1st January 2017 – till date | 4th November 2017 to 10th November 2017 |
| Mumbai | 1224 | 94 |
| Bangalore | 1051 | 61 |
| Delhi | 696 | 64 |
| Chennai | 700 | 50 |
| Hyderabad | 362 | 22 |
| Kolkata | 253 | 69 |
Total number of applications published by the Indian Patent Office from the 1st of January 2017 till 10th November 2017: 29344
- Early publications: 2639
- Ordinary Publications: 26705
Total number of patents granted by the Indian Patent Office from the 1st of January 2017 till 10th November 2017: 11183
- Delhi – 4603
- Mumbai – 1147
- Chennai – 3416
- Kolkata – 2017
First Examination Report (FER) Statistics
A total of 1136 FER’s have been issued this 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 | 379 |
| Mumbai | 176 |
| Chennai | 395 |
| Kolkata | 186 |
| Total | 1136 |
Indian Industrial Designs Statistics
The designs office at Kolkata has registered a total of 206 designs this week; this translates to a decrease of about 3.29% in comparison to the total number of designs registered in the previous week. The total designs registered from the 1st of January 2017 till date now adds to 8308applications.
Total designs registered in the previous Week: 213
Total designs registered this Week: 206
Percentage Difference: 3.29% decrease
Total designs registered from the 1st of January 2017 till date: 8308
Patents, Startups and Innovations
Students develop technology to stop terrorist and infiltration
Two school students from Bhopal, have developed a technology that aims to stop terrorists from crossing the Indian borders. Anushka Kanodiya and Farhan Ansari, the student inventors presented a working model of the technology recently at the 44th Jawaharlal Nehru National Science, Mathematics and Environment Exhibition (JNNSMEE) 2017. The model showcases a replica of Line of Control which has a magnetic plate on both the sides of the fence. The magnetic plates are ‘Human Sensitive’ and placed in the dimension of 10 meters on both the sides. As soon as a terrorist steps on the plate, a silent siren would alert the Indian Army about the external threat. The students are now looking to patent this technology, which would undoubtedly bring some respite to the border forces from the continuous nuisance plaguing the borders.
Interesting Patents
From shoes that count your steps to a walking aid that helps Parkinson’s affected people to regain mobility, this week’s journal is replete with interesting patents. Some of these patent applications are listed here below.
Patent Application 1:
Title: WEARABLE STEP-COUNTING SHOE
Application No. 201714000492
Applicants: HOMEWAY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD
Abstract: “A wearable step-counting shoe includes a shoe body (1) and a pedometer (2). The shoe body (1) includes a shoe sole (11) having opposite inner and outer sides (111, 112), and a groove surface (113) defining a mounting groove (114). The pedometer (2) is removably disposed in the mounting groove (114) and includes a pedometer body (21) having opposite first and second faces (211, 212) and configured to detect and record the number of steps taken by a user, and a screen (22) disposed on the second face (212) and configured to display the detected number of steps. An engaging unit (3) is provided to fix the pedometer (2) on the shoe body (1), and includes a first engaging portion (31) provided on the groove surface (113), and a second engaging portion (32) provided on the pedometer (2) and releasably engageable with the first engaging portion (31).” (Abstract has been taken from the patent application as is and has not been corrected.)
Patent Application 2:
Title: ON DEMAND SYSTEM FOR DRAWING AND PURIFYING WELL WATER
Application No. 201717025463
Applicants: THE COCA COLA COMPANY
Abstract: “This disclosure provides systems and methods for generating potable water from contaminated water sources particularly well water. By eliminating the purified water holding tank employing a combination of source tank with carbon and reverse osmosis filters in series and using an actuated pump to supply impure water from the source a simple on demand system is provided that is especially adapted for use in remote locations. The system and method are particularly useful where only direct current power such as from a solar photovoltaic panel power is available.” (Abstract has been taken from the patent application as is and has not been corrected.)
Patent Application 3:
Title: A WALKING AID SYSTEM FOR A PARKINSON™S DISEASE AFFECTED PERSON
Application No. 201621015918
Applicants: INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GANDHINAGAR
Abstract: “The present disclosure relates to a walking aid system for a Parkinson™s disease affected person. In accordance with the present disclosure, the walking aid system comprises a stick, a first controller, a first ultrasonic sensor module, a laser generator module, a second ultrasonic sensor module, an auditory module, and a vibrator module. The stick is to be carried by the Parkinson™s disease affected person and the components are disposed on the stick. The walking aid system is configured to receive sense and measure physical parameters associated with the walking of the person and predict freezing of gait based on the physical parameters. The walking aid system is further configured to generate multiple sensory signals to alert the Parkinson™s disease affected person regarding the prediction of freezing of gait..”(Abstract has been taken from the patent application as is and has not been corrected.)
Interesting Designs (Industrial Designs)
A very interesting design has been published in the official designs journal of the patent office dated November 10, 2017. This design, filed by Dr. Lavanian Dorairaj of Pune is titled CARRIER DETACHABLE AMBULANCE and has been registered (Design No. 288792) under class 12-08 relating to motor cars, buses and lorries, including ambulances and refrigerator vans (road).
Patent Conferences, Seminar, Webinars and Conclaves
WIPO-India Summer School on IP begins classes
The WIPO Academy, Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of IP Management, Nagpur (RGNIIPM) and the Maharashtra National Law University Nagpur (MNLUN) have jointly kick started the WIPO-India Summer School on Intellectual Property (IP), at Nagpur last week. The program began last week on the 6th November 2017 and is scheduled for completion on the 17th of November 2017. Reports indicate that about 48 participants from various countries including Bangladesh, South Korea, India, South Africa and Dubai are currently participating in the program.
Government Updates
DIPP and Anna University jointly set up India’s second tech support centre for IPRs
The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) has entered into an agreement with Anna University to set up a Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) in Chennai. This will be the second centre in the country to be set up under the World Intellectual Property Organisation’s (WIPO) TISC programme.
Patent disputes, infringement and settlements
Apple faces Camera Patent Infringement suit
An Israeli startup called Corephotonics has filed a lawsuit against Cupertino based, Apple Inc. accusing the tech giant of infringing the startup’s patented smartphone camera technology in two of the latest iPhone models. The startup has further alleged that the startup initially made contact with Apple in the hope of establishing a strategic partnership. Apple however, though impressed with the technology decided not to license it and hinted in addition that it could infringe the startup’s patents and potentially get away with it.
Apple wins $120 million in patent infringement suit against Samsung
The US Supreme Court has handed Apple a long awaited victory in the slide-to-unlock patent battle. After years of sparring in the courts, the Supreme Court announced last week that it wouldn’t hear Samsung’s appeal in the patent infringement case, first decided in 2014.
BananaIP’s Patent Tip of the Week
Scope of Amendments to Patent specification under Indian Patent Law
An applicant may choose to make amendments to his / her patent specification under the provisions of section 57 – 59 of the Patents Act. These amendments may be carried out voluntarily or as a consequence of the objections raised in the examination report. While amendments may be made before or after the grant of patent, these changes may be made only in the following ways:
- By way of incorporation of actual fact;
- By way of correction;
- By way of explanation;
- By way of disclaimer.
Author: 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].
