<p>Rising patent activity reflects pickup in research and innovation in the country, which is on the path to clock over 9 per cent growth this fiscal.<br /><br />Boosted by increased number of filings, the Indian Patent Office saw its revenues rising to nearly Rs 250 crore in financial year 2010-11, according to sources in the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).<br /><br />The revenues stood at Rs 214 crore in 2009-10 fiscal.<br /><br />"The process of hiring 257 patent examiners is on. New appointments will help in reducing the delays in granting patents," Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trade Marks (CGPDTM) P H Kurian told PTI. CGPDTM is also known as Indian Patent Office.<br /><br />In the wake of rising number of patent filings, the IPO is facing problems in speedy clearance of applications. Increasing the number of patent experts would help in clearing the backlogs.<br /><br />Kurian said that final revenues for the previous fiscal would be released in the next few days.<br /><br />DIPP sources said that patent filings in the last financial year climbed by about 15 per cent to 39,000. In the year-ago period, the same was at 34,000.<br /><br />Last fiscal, there has also been a 25 per cent rise in trademark filing at 1.8 lakh (from 1.4 lakh 2009-10).<br /><br />Besides, applications for designs increased by nearly 30 per cent to 7,500 during the same period, sources said.<br /><br />As the country is witnessing a robust economic growth, the government has taken several steps to encourage R&D works.<br /><br />"Innovative activity in a nation is difficult to measure but judging by patent activity there seems to be a pick in research and innovation in India...There is a sharp rise (in patent applications in recent years)," it said.</p>
<p>Rising patent activity reflects pickup in research and innovation in the country, which is on the path to clock over 9 per cent growth this fiscal.<br /><br />Boosted by increased number of filings, the Indian Patent Office saw its revenues rising to nearly Rs 250 crore in financial year 2010-11, according to sources in the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).<br /><br />The revenues stood at Rs 214 crore in 2009-10 fiscal.<br /><br />"The process of hiring 257 patent examiners is on. New appointments will help in reducing the delays in granting patents," Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trade Marks (CGPDTM) P H Kurian told PTI. CGPDTM is also known as Indian Patent Office.<br /><br />In the wake of rising number of patent filings, the IPO is facing problems in speedy clearance of applications. Increasing the number of patent experts would help in clearing the backlogs.<br /><br />Kurian said that final revenues for the previous fiscal would be released in the next few days.<br /><br />DIPP sources said that patent filings in the last financial year climbed by about 15 per cent to 39,000. In the year-ago period, the same was at 34,000.<br /><br />Last fiscal, there has also been a 25 per cent rise in trademark filing at 1.8 lakh (from 1.4 lakh 2009-10).<br /><br />Besides, applications for designs increased by nearly 30 per cent to 7,500 during the same period, sources said.<br /><br />As the country is witnessing a robust economic growth, the government has taken several steps to encourage R&D works.<br /><br />"Innovative activity in a nation is difficult to measure but judging by patent activity there seems to be a pick in research and innovation in India...There is a sharp rise (in patent applications in recent years)," it said.</p>