Department of Science & Technology (DST) have established Patent Facilitation Cell (PFC) in TIFAC in the year 1995 and subsequently 24 Patent Information Centres (PICs) in various states under Patent Facilitation Programme (PFP) of the Department, for creating awareness and extend assistance on protecting Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) including patent, copyright, geographical indication etc. at state level. These PICs have also established Intellectual Property Cells in Universities (IPCU) of their respective states to enlarge the network. As of now 84 IPCU’s have been created in different universities of the states. In addition, they are also liable to provide assistance to the inventors from Govt. organizations, State Universities, for patent searches to find out the potential and assessment of the invention.

Mandate of the Programme:

• Providing Patent information as a vital input to R&D
• Patent /IPR facilitation to academic Institutions and Government R&D Institutions
• IPR policy input to Government
• Conducting training and awareness programme on IPR in the country
• Summary of the activities carried out during the F. Y 2018-19:

• The financial support provided to the 24 Patent Information Centers established at various State Councils in the tune of Rs. 6.5 Crore.
• The Annual Review meeting of the Patent Information Centers established at various State Councils for S&T was organized at Assam State Council for Science & Technology, Guwahati during 31st Oct’2018 to 1st Nov 2018 at Hotel Parag, GS Road, Guwahati to review the progress of the various State S&T Councils in the country.
• A Standing Finance Committee (SFC) was constituted for the formulation of the SFC document of the Patent Facilitation Programme under the Chairmanship of Secretary, DST. The Committee recommended for the continuation of the programme for a period of 3 years from 01.04.2017 to 31.03.2020 with a total budget of 17.0 Crore.
• Various awareness programmes, sensitization workshops, regional workshops, national workshops organized to create awareness on national intellectual property right policy among the stake holders.

(B)Details on the activities carried out under the programme during the F. Y 2018-19:

1.IP/Patent Facilitation

DST through Patent Facilitation Centre helps in filing and prosecuting patent and other IPR applications in India and in other countries on behalf of academic institutions and government R&D institutes. These patent and IP applications are drafted and filed through patent attorneys on the panel. The cost of filing these patents is borne by Department and patent/IP applications are filed in the name of inventing institute/s. Department conducted through patentability assessment in house for all the invention disclosure received by it.

1.1Filing of Patent and Other IPR Applications

DST through Patent Facilitation Centre has assessed the patentability of about 114 new cases for filing of patents on behalf of academic and government R&D institutions. Out of which 49 cases were found suitable and have been sent to attorneys for filing of new patent applications along with one National Phase application (in persuasion to PCT application filed earlier) and one copyright application. One case for National Phase Filing was considered following filing PCT application earlier. Three design registrations were also examined and found they were not subject matter of design registration, hence not proceeded further.

1.2 Grant of Patents

During the period 16 Indian Patents have been granted to respective applicant and facilitated filing and prosecution of these patent.

Awareness and Training on IPR

Department through Patent Facilitation Centre conducted 3 IPR Awareness Workshops. In total 400 plus scientist, technologist, academician and industry people attended the these workshops.

A “Two Weeks Training Programme on IPR and Patents” for officials of Patent Information Centers (PICs) at State Councils of Science and Technology and University IPR Cell (IPCUs) was held from April 23, 2018 to May 2, 2018 at Chennai in association with PIC, Tamil Nadu State Council for Science & Technology. Mostly PICs and IPCUs from southern India attended this programme. Another two training programmes were conducted; one was a two-day workshop held on December 3-4, 2018 on “The Guides for Identifying and Using Inventions in the Public Domain” conducted jointly by PFC, CIPAM, DIPP and World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and second with DRDO and ICAR.

3.A GI onKodaikenal Garlichas been registered by Patent Information Centre, Tamilnadu State Council for Science & Technology, DOTE Campus, Chennai

4.In addition various awareness programmes were organized by the Patent Information Centre situated in the States.

• Compendium on the activity of PFP2.53 MB

For More Information

For further details on the programs of PFP