India Witnesses 44% Surge In IP Filings Over Five Years

Recently, the Minister of State for Commerce & Industry informed the Lok Sabha that India has recorded a significant increase in Intellectual Property (IP) filings in recent years.

Filings increased by 44%, from 4.77 lakh in 2020–21 to 6.89 lakh in 2024–25
Category-wise surge: a 380% increase in Geographical indications, followed by Designs (266%), Patents (180%) , Copyright (83%), and Trademarks (28%).

Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)

Intellectual Property Rights are legal rights given to creators or inventors to protect their creations or inventions for a certain period of time. These rights allow them to control the use of their intellectual work and benefit from it.

Categories of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)

Copyrights:
- Protects original literary, artistic, musical, and dramatic works.
- Governed by the Copyright Act, 1957 in India.
- Grants exclusive rights to authors, musicians, artists, etc.
Trademarks:
- Protects symbols, names, logos, and slogans that distinguish goods or services.
- Governed by the Trademarks Act, 1999.
- Promotes brand identity and consumer trust.
Patents:
- Protects new inventions with industrial applications.
- Governed by the Patents Act, 1970, amended in 2005 (TRIPS compliant).
- Grants exclusive rights for 20 years from the filing date.
- Encourages innovation through disclosure and reward.
Industrial Designs:
- Protects the ornamental and aesthetic aspects of functional products.
- Applicable to mass-produced objects (shape, pattern, color).
- Governed by the Designs Act, 2000.
Trade Secrets:
- Covers confidential business information (formulas, processes, techniques).
- Crucial in technology, pharmaceutical, and manufacturing sectors.
- No specific legislation in India; protected under common law and contract law.
Geographical Indications (GI Tags):
- Sign used on goods that have a specific geographical origin and possess unique qualities due to that location.
- Governed by the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.
- Valid for 10 years, renewable indefinitely in 10-year periods.
- Promotes rural economy, local traditions, and consumer trust
Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights:
- Recognizes the rights of plant breeders who develop new plant varieties.
- Grants exclusive commercial rights for a period of time.
- Governed by the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR) Act, 2001.

Drivers of the Surge in IP Filings

Procedural Reforms
- Timelines fixed for processing and granting of patents
- Number of trademark forms reduced from 74 to 8
- Simplified filing procedures for patents, trademarks, and copyrights
- Introduction of ‘Certificate of Inventorship’ to recognize inventors
Fee Concessions: 80% fee reduction for Startups, MSMEs, and Educational Institutions for Patents, 75% for Designs, 50% for Trademarks and Discounts for Advance Patent Renewals.
Digitization
- Introduction of a real-time IP Dashboard for public access to filing data
- AI-powered Trademark Search Technology to enhance efficiency and accuracy
- Comprehensive online filing and e-processing systems
- Certificates, hearings, and application status all available through digital platforms.
- IP Sarthi Chatbot: Instant support for users navigating IP registration
Programs and Schemes
- National Intellectual Property Awareness Mission (NIPAM) – over 25 lakh students and faculty sensitized
- Start-Ups Intellectual Property Protection (SIPP) Scheme – pro bono IP facilitation
- IPR Internship Programme for students and researchers
- National IP Awards to recognize excellence in IP creation and commercialization
Alignment with International Standards: India adopted the Locarno Classification system for Industrial Designs, aligning with the 1968 Locarno Agreement under WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization).

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