Patenting know-how, technology desired for MSMEs

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Feb 27,2016: Not just for getting trademarks,  (MSMEs) have been asked to submit applications for patenting their know-how and technology too.Mangaluru :  Speaking at a programme on intellectual property rights on Feb 27 Friday, Deputy Director of MSME - micro, small and medium enterprises, Development Institute, Bengaluru, H.V. Anandamurthy said that while a large number of small and medium enterprises were filing applications for trademarks there were not many applying for patents.

Just 140 applications were being filed per a million population in the country against 4,060 per million filed in South Korea and 2,700 per million in China.

Dy director, Anandamurthy said that it was necessary for small and medium enterprises to patent their know-how and technology used for manufacturing products.  Deputy Director, MSME unit, Mangaluru, K. Socrates, said that the Ministry of MSME was providing assistance for developing and filing patents of these enterprises. The Ministry was providing these services for free. “Applying for patent should not be considered as a burden but as an investment,” he said.

Deputy Controller of Patents and Designs, Chennai, R. Devan, said that Rs. 25,000 was charged for Indian patent while Rs. 2 lakh was charged for international patent. “Now, it takes nearly six years to get an Indian patent while it takes three years for an international patent.” Devan said action was being taken to reduce the time taken for Indian patent.

Director of MSME Development Institute S.N. Rangaprasad and Joint Director of Dakshina Kannada District Industries Centre Gokuldas Nayak also spoke.

Two students from a city college, who were interested in listening to lectures on patents, were sent away by the organisers of programme as they had not registered their names in advance.

After the inauguration of the programme, an official asked the two to leave the venue as they had not registered their names. The official told them that they should have registered their names.

The students asked the official to allow them to listen to the lectures. “We will only listen to the lectures. We will not have lunch,” the students said. The official did not oblige and said it would be odd to allow them and not offer lunch. The students then made a quiet exit.