India has achieved a global top-10 ranking in patents, trademarks, and industrial designs, with a 15.7% rise in patent filings and fourth place in trademark filings, up 6.1% in 2023. Nearly 90% of trademark filings were by residents, driven by health, agriculture, and clothing sectors. With 3.2 million active registrations, India’s trademark office ranks second globally, reflecting its robust role in brand protection, per the World Intellectual Property Indicators 2024 report.

The Press Release can be accessed here.

The Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks has now launched a chatbot – IP Saarthi, which offers to revolutionise IP Support by addressing the queries and concerns for amplified intellectual property protection. The chatbot is designed to provide faster support and guidance to users navigating the intellectual property registration process. With IP Saarthi, users can access information, resolve issues, and get expert guidance in an efficient manner.

The Chatbot can be accessed at here.

The Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade are in the process of amending the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999. A public notice inviting comments and suggestions via email to ak.gupta38@nic.in and ipr4-dipp@nic.in from interested stakeholders on proposed modifications to the Geographical Indications of Goods Act, 1999 was published on September 27, 2024. The deadline for submitting comments and suggestions is October 10, 2024.

The public notice can be found here.

Following the Delhi High Court’s Order in Saurav Chaudhary v. Union of India, the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs, and Trademarks (CGPDTM) has set up an Ad-Hoc committee, which will address complaints against Patent and Trademark Agents, until an official ‘Code of Conduct’ governing their practices is introduced. Any complaints against Patent Agents or Trademark Agents may be forwarded to the office of CGPDTM at llc-ipo@gov.in.

The notice can be accessed here.

The Supreme Court will address the issue of Right to be Forgotten on September 10, 2024 as it continues to hear a Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by Indian Kanoon. Indian Kanoon has challenged a Madras High Court decision that had ordered it to remove the copy of the Judgment which disclosed the identity of a person acquitted in a sexual assault case. The Petitioners contended that the decisions of various High Courts on the issue were at loggerheads, to which, the CJI agreed and asserted that the apex court will have to settle the law.

The report is accessible here.