Concept note on PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE DESIGNS ACT, 2000

 Key proposals for amendment to the Act, which are to be fleshed out further, are presented in broad outline in this concept note for the purpose of consultation with stakeholders with a view to receive their inputs on the core concepts.

1. Virtual Designs Protection

Last few years have seen rapid advancements in technology transforming the way consumers interact with products and services. Graphical user interfaces (“GUIs”), icons, animated characters, and immersive virtual environments are nowadays a core part of consumer experience across sectors like technology, fintech, gaming, e-commerce, healthcare, and digital services. These visual elements embody significant aesthetic value. Stakeholders have also advocated the ideas of providing protection to GUIs and other virtual designs under Designs Act, in consultations with DPIIT.

To address this gap, it is proposed to clarify and modernise the definitions of “design” and “article” to expressly enable protection of virtual designs, independent of any physical carrier. The definition of “design” may be expanded by broadening the scope as well as meaning of “industrial process” and by expressly including animation, movement, and transition, thereby clarifying that design protection extends beyond static visual features to dynamic visual effects that are central to contemporary digital and screen-based designs.

In parallel, the definition of “article” may be revised to expressly cover items in physical or non-physical form, including GUIs, icons, graphic symbols, typefaces, augmented reality graphical user interfaces, and other virtual products provided under Locarno classification, clarifying that a design may subsist regardless of whether it is embodied in a tangible object or materialises in a purely digital or virtual environment. These amendments would help explicitly decoupling design protection from the requirement of physical embodiment, enabling protection for designs in virtual, augmented, and immersive digital environments. Corresponding amendments can be considered to be made to other provisions of the Design Act, including the infringement related provision, to give effect to protection of virtual designs.

Download- https://www.dpiit.gov.in/static/uploads/2026/01/791a71ebde47d93b67560f7394be2fec.pdf

Defense Reserach labd in India offer patents - royalty free

The Indian Defence Research Development Organization (DRDO) has formulated a new policy that allows the Organization to offer complete access to its patents filed in India without any licensing or royalty fees.  According to the notification, an application for licensing must be made through the DRDO website and a processing fee of INR 1000/- must be deposited. The Applicant is also required to disclose its financial and technical capabilities in a comprehensive manner, along with the application. All applications will undergo a screening process to determine whether the applicant has met the eligibility requirements and has provided all the required information. On completion of the same, a non-exclusive license will be granted for a period of 1 year. The Licensee is obligated to furnish details to DRDO, every year, regarding Working of Patents – Form 27. On completion of one year, the license can be renewed without incurring any additional costs. DRDO’s patent portfolio primarily consists of inventions related to missile technology, aeronautics, naval systems, life sciences, armaments, combat engineering, electronics and communication material.

List of patents.

Book Summery

Patent IPR Licensing-

Technology Commercialisation-

Innovation Marketing

This is a guide book for researchers and innovators from IFIA member, Indian Innovators Association. The Author in his long association with innovators noticed that more often benefits from creative endeavor elude the researcher/ engineer. The point of vexation arises when they notice that there are no buyers for their innovation.

One remedy for this heart burning experience is to start preparation for commercialization early in the development phase with clarity on the fundamentals of relevant market. The market is different for Patent license, Technology Commercialization and Innovation. Understanding characteristics of the market you are jumping into is a pre-requisite for non-business savvy innovator. This guide book takes the reader to each of these markets giving a basic view of each market.

Message from Alireza RASTEGAR, IFIA President:

Intellectual Property protection, licensing, commercialization and innovation marketing are the required steps for developing an innovative idea into a marketable product. Having knowledge about these concepts ensured the successful exploitation of the innovative technologies in the industrial sectors.

The community of idea owners needs to know how to prepare a well-drafted patent application, generate wealth from the patent, create physical products to help the brand

thrive and license their patents without the need to write a business plan, develop a marketing strategy, spend money on advertising, or find distribution.

Thanks to the efforts made by the Indian Innovator Association, IFIA Full member and representative in India, such information has become available. The inventors and innovators all around the world are encouraged to benefit from the wealth of knowledge

included in the book "PATENT LICENSING TECHNOLOGY COMMERCIALISATION INNOVATION MARKETING" and become familiar with a variety of new concepts.

The book is available at , Flipkart, Amazon, Kindle, iBook, Google Play etc.

Trade Mark rules 2017

New rules have notified. Some aspects:

Concessions to Start Ups, Individuals and Small Enterprises

The new rules offer 50% discount on the official fees for startups and SME’s (small and medium enterprises) with respect to filing an application for registration of a trademark and for expedited processing of an application for registration of a trademark. Filing an application for registration of a trademark is Rs. 5000 (Paper Filing) / Rs. 4500 (e-filing and expedited processing of an application for registration of a trademark is Rs. 20000 (e-filing only)

The applicant should be recognized as a startup by the competent authority under the Startup India initiative. To qualify as a small enterprise, the applicant’s investment in plants and machinery alone should not exceed ten crore rupees if the applicant is a manufacturer. However, if the applicant is a service provider, the investment in equipment in general should not exceed five crore rupees.

Unlike the Indian Patent Amendment Rules, 2016 where the applicant being a startup/individual/SME enjoys discounted costs for the entire life of a patent application and even subsequently thereafter, in respect of renewal of the patent, the Trademark Rules, 2017 has limited the discounts with regard to Startups/Individuals/SME’s only filing and expedited examination of the trademark application.

Source: SELVAM&SELVAM