Knowledge of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) help in identification of innovative and path breaking technologies. Moreover, by successful translation of appropriate technology into commercialization will benefit the common man. Further the knowledge of IPR answers the following important questions:

• How the life of a common man can be improved?
• How research can be translated into appropriate technology resulting into better products?
• How the technology will lead to more number and employment?

In our country very few people know about the Intellectual Property Rights and its role in the economic development of the nation. In order to educate the potential people for generating IPR, Desh Bhagat University, Mandi Gobindgarh, has created an IPR cell in collaboration with Punjab State Council for Science & Technology.

VISION

Integration of IPR in educational framework of University for contributing to the development and implementation of IPR in regional and national context

OBJECTIVES

The main objective of this IPR cell is to create the awareness on IPR issues by organizing workshops, quiz, conferences, seminars in order to motivate introduction of innovative and path breaking technologies in the society

Intellectual Property Rights

Intellectual property (IP) pertains to any original creation of the human intellect such as artistic, literary, technical or scientific creation. Intellectual property rights (IPR) refers to the legal rights given to the inventor or creator to protect his/her invention or creation for a certain period of time. These legal rights confer an exclusive right to the inventor/creator or his assignee to fully utilize his invention/creation for a given period of time and to debar others from using the same without his permission. Thus, IPR is a strong tool to recover benefits and recoup for investments, time, money, effort invested for development of the invention/creation. IPRs aids in the economic development of a country by promoting healthy competition and encouraging industrial development and economic growth.

IPR Protection helps in:

• Business Image building (National and International )
• Encouraging R&D at universities and research centres;
• Attracting collaborators/funding agencies
• Capturing new knowledge area
• Helps in technology transfer, licensing & joint ventures

Why IPRs need to be protected: After establishment of World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1995, all member nations of WTO had to comply to Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement. The TRIPS Agreement laid down minimum standards of IP protection to be provided by member states. India being WTO member & TRIPS signatory has made various laws to provide IPR in all fields of technologies/creativities.

IPR Filing Support available in Punjab:

Patent Information Centre (PIC) at Punjab State Council for Science & Technology, Chandigarh is a joint project of Govt. of India & Govt. of Punjab to address to IPR needs of Punjab & Chandigarh. The centre has the primary objective of taking Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) issues to the grassroots R & D workers and innovators, especially in the academics and industry by raising awareness, capacity building and facilitating IPR filing in order to prepare the state for facing global trade challenges in the changing WTO regime. It has been providing patent search and filing facilities at the door step of innovators, researchers, R & D establishments and entrepreneurs, organizing patent awareness workshops & faculty training camps. The Centre has been instrumental in introducing IPRs as a compulsory subject in the curriculum of vocational training in Punjab and in certain areas of higher education especially engineering, biotechnology and pharmaceutical sciences. The Centre also facilitates filing of various IPRs like patents, trademark, copyrights, designs etc. Before filing of a patent, a thorough patent search is conducted on comprehensive international paid patent databases to ascertain novelty of the invention.

PIC, PSCST provides following IPR related services: 

• International Patent Search on nominal charges from 80+ countries

• Free Financial, Legal & Technical support for IPR (especially patents) filing, prosecution & renewal to all academicians

• Technology Scan Studies & Patent information for technology up-gradation/ adoption

• IPR Training

• Consultancy services on various IPR filing

• Awareness through Workshops/Lectures/ Seminars

Further, PIC, PSCST has also setup 11 IPR Cells in various Universities of the state (including Desh Bhagat University, Mandi Gobindgarh) with the following objectives:

• To provide IPRs protection information, orientation and facilities to university researchers & scientists

• To guide & advise researchers on how to obtain & sustain patents

• To facilitate routing of patent searchers to PIC, Punjab

• To get necessary clearances from competent authorities while filing Provisional and Complete specifications & technology transfer

• To organize various awareness programmes in collaboration with PIC, Punjab in its campus and affiliated colleges

Patent Filing Procedure via PIC-PSCST:

Once an inventor from any academic institution (private or public) has developed an invention the following steps are undertaken for patent search & filing:

• an inventor needs to submit a half a page abstract describing novelty features of his invention through his head of the institution/nodal officer of IPR cell to PSCST along with requisite fees in form of cheque/demand draft in favour of “Punjab State Council for Science & Technology” payable at Chandigarh through registered post or by hand.
• PIC-PSCST conducts international patent search based on the submitted abstract and keywords and sends the confidential patent search report to the inventor through registered post along with a questionnaire form to be filled in by the inventor in case novelty is ascertained by him.
• inventor to scrutinize the patent search report and re-submit the filled in questionnaire form and other requisite documents upon establishing novelty of his invention along with request for patent filing through proper channel.
• PIC-PSCST process the case for patent filing with respect to patentability criteria and other clearances required from inventor’s institution(s) & funding agency (if any) for onward submission to PFC-TIFAC, DST-GoI.
• PIC represents the cases forwarded for patent filing in the review committee meeting of PFC-TIFAC, DST-GoI. On approval of the committee, the case is allocated to an empanelled law firm for patent drafting & filing.
• PIC co-ordinates with inventor & attorneys during patent drafting &filing at Indian Patent Office, New Delhi
• Full support of PIC to inventor in all correspondences regarding the filed patent (of PFC-TIFAC, Patent Office & Law firms)

Note:

• Patent filing fee, attorney fee, examination fee, renewal fee for patent applications filed through PIC, PSCST is borne by DST, GoI
• Patent will be filed in the name of the institution where the inventor is employed or studying
• All correspondence like submission of abstract, questionnaire form etc to be done through REGISTERED POST or BY HAND (by the inventor himself) ONLY to maintain confidentiality.
• Inventor to file for his patent prior to publishing /presenting his invention in any form
• Inventor to furnish correct details regarding his invention (inventorship, publishing information, funding information)