Intellectual Property Resources

For any person seeking information/knowledge relating to intellectual property and the rights, remedies, protection etc. available to them therein, a variety of websites have been set up by various organisations, both governmental and non-governmental all over the world to provide the necessary resources.

Any person having an idea, concept, invention, creation or any other form of IP and who is seeking to obtain recognition and protection with regard to the same, may avail of the extensive information provided on such websites, which are managed, monitored and updated regularly in relation to amendments which are proposed and adopted frequently to keep up to date with the requirements of the fast progressing of law and society.

These websites or resources for intellectual property make it convenient for a layman to understand briefly, the basic or general information with regard to the different types of intellectual property and prove to be an extremely helpful first step in the process of obtaining rights, recognition and protection with respect to one’s intellectual property.

The primary IP resource in India, Intellectual Property India, has been set up and is regularly monitored and updated by and under the supervision of the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. The site, inter alia, provides extensive information with regard to:

• The Filing and e-Filing process.
• The relevant Acts, Rules, Guidelines, Manuals, Laws and bye-Laws.
• Journals, Annual Reports and other utilities.
• FAQs and all the necessary information with regard to Patents, Designs, Trademarks, Geographical Indication along with the forms for filing an application for registration.
• Public information relating to the status and updates pertaining to the various pending applications.
• Conferences or events which are to be held or have been held recently.
• A Public Search System to ascertain whether the proposed Trademark etc. already has prior registration or not.

The most prominent resource globally for IP, however, is the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), which provides everything from the basic information with regard to the different kinds of intellectual property to running a worldwide search for the same. Most, if not all, of the rules, regulations, treaties, agreements etc. governing the various jurisdictions of the world can be readily found on the WIPO website, which is updated and amended regularly.

Even though most of the laws regulating rights in intellectual property are uniform across the globe, however they do vary, to some extent, in different jurisdictions. The procedural aspects relating to grant of recognition and protection of rights in IP vary from country to country and each jurisdiction has its own website providing all the necessary information relating to the same.

Some of the notable IP resources are listed hereunder:

1. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is the federal agency for granting U.S. patents and registering trademarks.

2. The Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (BOIP) is the official body for the registration of trademarks and designs in the Benelux (The Benelux Union is a politico-economic union of three neighbouring states in western Europe: Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg). In addition, the BOIP offers the possibility to formally record the existence of ideas, concepts, designs prototypes and the like in an i-DEPOT.

3. The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Law, Singapore which provides the legal regime for protection of IP in Singapore.

4. The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is the official UK government body responsible for intellectual property (IP) rights including patents, designs, trademarks and copyright.

5. IP Australia is the Australian Government agency that administers intellectual property (IP) rights and legislation relating to patents, trademarks, designs and plant breeder's rights.

6. The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) is a part of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. CIPO is a Special Operating Agency (SOA) and is responsible for the administration and processing of the greater part of intellectual property (IP) in Canada. CIPO's areas of activity include trademarks, patents, copyright, industrial designs and integrated circuit topographies.

The list provided hereinabove is not exhaustive and each country/jurisdiction has its own website run by the relevant ministry or department, as the case may be.