“Varanasi man makes iron man suit a reality, keyboard and mouse functions embedded in hand gloves, Unique seminar on patents, MSF to legally challenge Pfizer’s patent on pneumonia vaccine, Dr. Reddy’s wins patent infringement suit in US, Vivus, Inc. and Dr. Reddy’s settle patent issues, Nintendo to pay 10 million dollars in patent infringement case, Hytera sues Motorola, Australia to abolish innovation patents, Patent portfolio pruning, patent tip of the week and more weekly news updates,” presented by the Patent attorneys and experts of BananaIP Counsels, India’s Premier New Age Patent Firm.
Patent Fact of the Week
On May 22, 1849, Abraham Lincoln received a patent for his invention of a “method of buoying vessels over shoals”. He is still the only US President to have held a patent.
Indian Patent Statistics
There has been a sharp decline in the total number of patent applications that have been published this week by the Indian Patent Office. With a total of 449 patent applications being published, the percentage of publications has decreased by a significant 61.02%. While 23 of these patent applications are early publications, the remaining 449 applications are ordinary publications or publications occurring after the 18 month period. A total of 296 patents have been issued this week, which marks an increase of 35.16%.
Early Publications
| City | Previous Week | This Week | Percentage of change |
| Delhi | 13 | 1 | 92.31% decrease |
| Mumbai | 2 | 8 | 300% increase |
| Chennai | 40 | 12 | 70% decrease |
| Kolkata | 7 | 2 | 71.43% decrease |
| Total | 62 | 23 | 62.9% decrease |
Ordinary Publications
| City | Previous Week | This Week | Percentage of change |
| Delhi | 148 | 71 | 52.03% decrease |
| Mumbai | 22 | 125 | 468.18% increase |
| Chennai | 281 | 129 | 54.09% decrease |
| Kolkata | 701 | 124 | 82.31% decrease |
| Total | 1152 | 449 | 61.02% decrease |
TOTAL PUBLICATIONS (Previous Week): 1214
TOTAL PUBLICATIONS (This Week): 472
Percentage difference: 61.12% decrease
PUBLICATIONS UNDER GRANT
| City | Previous Week | This Week | Percentage of change |
| Delhi | 88 | 138 | 56.82% increase |
| Mumbai | 24 | 10 | 58.33% decrease |
| Chennai | 62 | 93 | 50% increase |
| Kolkata | 45 | 55 | 22.22% increase |
| Total | 219 | 296 | 35.16% increase |
Number of Applications published based on applicant city
Of the total 472 patent applications published this week, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi and Hyderabad have contributed 60 applications in total. The total applications for each of the previously mentioned cities are as follows – 21 applications from Bangalore, 12 applications from Delhi, 11 applications from Mumbai and 8 applications each from Chennai and Hyderabad.
| List of Cities | 1st January 2017 – till date | 26th August 2017 – 1st September 2017 |
| Mumbai | 922 | 11 |
| Bangalore | 843 | 21 |
| Delhi | 591 | 12 |
| Chennai | 478 | 8 |
| Hyderabad | 285 | 8 |
| Kolkata | 100 | 0 |
Total number of applications published by the Indian Patent Office from the 1st of January 2017 till 1st September 2017:17553
- Early publications: 1782
- Ordinary Publications: 16985
Total number of patents granted by the Indian Patent Office from the 1st of January 2017 till 1st September 2017: 8107
- Delhi – 3501
- Mumbai – 841
- Kolkata – 1542
- Chennai – 2223
Indian Industrial Designs Statistics
The designs office at Kolkata has registered a total of 204 designs this week. This marks a 1.491% increase from the total designs registered in the previous week. The total designs registered from the 1st of January 2017 till date now adds to 6236 applications.
Total designs registered in the previous Week: 201
Total designs registered this Week: 204
Percentage Difference: 1.01% increase
Total designs registered from the 1st of January 2017 till date: 6236
Patents, Startups, Innovations
Varanasi man makes Iron man suit a reality
Shyam Chaurasia, a young engineer from Varanasi has brought the iron man suit a step closer to reality. Shyam, has created a metal gun suit that can be operated and controlled through internet from a room using GPS-operated systems. The exoskeleton has guns attached to the hands, helmet and legs. Shyam is hoping that the invention can be used by Indian soldiers guarding the borders and fighting terrorism. The functioning model has a lot of space for customisation and modification before the suit can be inducted into operations by the combat forces.
Interesting Patents
An interesting patent has been published in the Official Journal of patents dated September 1, 2017. This patent application relates to glove which includes functions of a keyboard and mouse embedded into it.
Patent Application:
Title: KEYBOARD AND MOUSE FUNCTIONS EMBEDDED IN HAND GLOVES
Application No. 201611006703
Applicants: ARVIND TRIPATHI.
Abstract: “This is a keyboard and mouse functions together which is wearable as hand gloves. And, can be connected as a wired/wireless input device to a Computer/Laptop/Mobile/Tablet/Smart Glass/Watch. This can save a lot of desk space. And, its hands-free posture is very relaxing and easy. Also, tapping of palm and fingers keeps the body healthy as per the yoga recommendations.” (Abstract has been taken from the patent application as is and has not been corrected.)
Patent Seminars, Conferences, Conclaves
DeITy conducts Workshop on Intellectual Property Rights awareness in Kolkata
The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India and JIS College of Engineering recently organized a program on ‘Intellectual Property Rights for Sensitizing and Creating IP Awareness among Various Stakeholders’. The aim of the workshop was to generate awareness about Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) in the Electronics & IT Sector, thereby furnishing requisite guidance and proficiency about an assortment of procedures of patent search and application filing.
Seminar on Patents for Inventors to be held on September 22, 2017 at Bangalore
BananaIP (BIP) Counsels is organizing a unique seminar on patents for corporate inventors on 22nd September, 2017, at Bangalore, India. Unlike the traditional patent seminars, the program intends to do away with lectures and talks and instead focus on participative teaching and learning methods such as story weaving, role plays, narratives and simple problem solving techniques. You may learn more about the event at: https://www.bananaip.com/the-strategic-inventor/
Medicines, Health and Patents
MSF to legally challenge Pfizer’s patent on pneumonia vaccine
After the Indian Patent Office recently granted a patent to Pfizer for its pneumoccocal conjugate vaccine (PCV) called Prevnar 13, the non-profit health advocacy group MSF (Medecins Sans Frontieres) has decided to legally challenge the patent grant. MSF has already raised the issue with the government and is urging the government to issue a compulsory licence in this regard. The group had first challenged the patent and filed a patent opposition in March 2016 making it the first instance that a vaccine (biosimilar) patent was challenged in India.
MSF is contending that currently, pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) are the only two manufacturers of the vaccine and Pfizer has priced PCV13 in a way that it makes the drug out of the reach of many developing countries.
Patent Litigation, infringement and settlements
Dr. Reddy’s wins patent infringement suit in US
Hyderabad based, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd has won a favourable judgment in a patent infringement litigation in the US. The United States District Court, Delaware, delivered the judgement in favour of Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, ruling that the proposed generic version of Suboxone (buprenorphine and naloxone) sublingual film does not infringe US patent as asserted by Indivior. Reckitt Benckiser developed the Suboxone sublingual film using MonoSol Rx’s PharmFilm technology and in December 2014, de-merged its pharmaceuticals business as Indivior.
Vivus, Inc. and Dr. Reddy’s settle patent issues
In another win for Dr. Reddy’s, American Pharmaceutical Company Vivus, Inc. has entered into a settlement agreement with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Limited in a patent infringement litigation related to weight management drug Qsymia (phentermine and topiramate extended-release capsules).
The litigation, which has been pending in the district court of New Jersey since 2015, was raised after Dr Reddy’s subsidiaries filed the abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) for approval to launch its generic version.
The settlement agreement permits Dr Reddy’s to begin selling a generic version of Qsymia on June 1, 2025, or earlier under certain conditions.
Court directs Nintendo to pay 10 million dollars in patent infringement case
A Dallas jury last week ruled that Nintendo must pay iLife Technologies $10 million for violating several of iLife’s patent through Ninetendo’s Wii Remote. The suit filed in 2013 alleged that Ninetendo’s Wii Remote violated numerous patents of iLife and Nintendo thus owed the company compensation.
Hytera sues Motorola
Chinese, radio transceivers and radio systems manufacturer has once again sued Motorola Solutions for allegedly infringing upon Hytera’s patented sound-adjustment control technology.
Filed with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, in Cleveland, Ohio, the Hytera lawsuit claims that Motorola Solutions is infringing upon Hytera’s U.S. Patent No. 9,183,846—known as “the ‘846 patent”—that is entitled “Method and Device for Adaptively Adjusting Sound Effects.
International news
Australia to abolish innovation patents
The Australian government has announced that it will abolish the innovation patent system in a bid to bring the country in line with international standards. The Australian government is of the view that the innovation system is “unlikely to provide net benefits to the Australian community or to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)”
Innovation patents are akin to utility models in they have a shorter lifespan than traditional patents – eight years, in Australia’s case – and have lower thresholds for inventiveness. The government has indicated that while legislative amendments to the Australian Patents Act to abolish the innovation patent system would be expedited, appropriate arrangements will be made to maintain existing rights.
BananaIP Patent Updates
BananaIP announces Program on Patents for Corporate Inventors
BananaIP (BIP) Counsels is organizing a unique program on patents for corporate inventors on September 22, 2017 at ITC Gardenia in Bangalore. The seminar titled “The Strategic Inventor,” is a first of its kind program to help companies generate business and competitive value driven Patents from their inventors. The program is aimed at helping corporate inventors create patentable and risk-free inventions that address a company’s business goals, and further its competitive value in the marketplace.
You may learn more about the event on BananaIP’s website: https://www.bananaip.com/the-strategic-inventor/
For more information on the seminar, you may write to Ms. Ragini, [email protected]
BananaIP’s Patent Tip of the Weekp
Prune your patent portfolio
We have often heard of the saying “Not all that glitters is gold.”; likewise not every patent gives you economic value. To the contrary, keeping unwanted patents cost money in maintenance, attorney and docketing fees. It is therefore important for companies to identify the patents that are likely to yield them some value and let the rest of the patents go. In addition to cost saving, pruning can help strategically align a company’s IP with its business objectives.
Author: BIP 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].
