Though the Intellectual Property Rights in India was fully stable from a legal, judicial and administrative point of view, it was not until recent that the individuals and legal entities within India started taking it seriously. The importance of obtaining IPRs and enforcing them have caught on quickly with the Indians, in recent years. Indian IP offices have also undergone some major upgradation in terms of infrastructure, human resources, computerization of IP offices, databases and websites among others.

National IP Awards, intended to encourage creativity and innovation and management of intellectual property portfolio that influences the success of business in different industry segments, has only added to the growing repute of IPRs in India. The main purpose behind this is to make Indians recognize their own IPRs and also respect others’ IPRs.

Every year, the Office of Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (CGPDTM) recognizes individuals and enterprises who have done exceptionally well or achieved something great in the field of IPR, like creation and commercialization of IP and confers them with the National Intellectual Property (IP) Awards.

This year too, the Office of Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (CGPDTM), in association with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), will be presenting the awards at an event in Delhi on the 26^th of April, coinciding with the World IP Day.

There has been a total of ten (10) categories included this year in the national intellectual property awards programme. They are as follows:

1. Top Individual for Patents & Commercialization
2. Top Indian Academic institution for Patents & Commercialization
3. Top R & D Institution/Organization for Patents & Commercialization
4. Top Public Limited Company/Private Limited Company for Patents & Commercialization in India:

4(a). Indian owned company

4(b). MNC/Foreign owned company

5. Top Indian MSME for Patents & Commercialization:
6. Top Start-up for IP Commercialization
7. Top Indian Company/Organization for Designs and Commercialization
8. Top Indian Company for creating Global Brand (s)
9. Top Individual/organization for Best facilitation of Registration of GI and Promotion of Registered GI in India.
10. Best Police Unit (Police District/Zone in a commissionerate) for Enforcement of IP in the Country.

Each award (including categories under 4 (a) and 4 (b) separately) will carry a cash prize of Rs. 1,00,000/- and citation.

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), under the WIPO Awards Program, has proposed the idea to link three annual awards with certain categories of the National IP Awards 2017. The WIPO Awards are as follows:

1.   WIPO Medal for Inventors – Top Individual for Patents & Commercialization

2.   WIPO IP Enterprises Trophy – Top Indian Public Limited Company/ Private Limited Company

3.   WIPO Users Trophy – Top Indian Company for creating Global brand

The number of Intellectual Property Rights registered/granted will not be the sole basis for zeroing in on the awardees. Instead, the utilization of these IPRs as a strategic tool in commerce and industry, along with the contribution they bring to the society, will be taken into consideration as well. Performance in the last 3 calendar years, i.e., 2014-16 will be taken into consideration for the purpose of National IP Awards 2017.

The following parameters will be considered for selection:

1.   Number of IPRs filed/granted/registered.

2.   Growth in IPR portfolio in the last three calendar years.

3.   Leveraging of IPRs for achieving commercial goals (manufacturing, licensing, launching of new products/processes associated with granted/registered IPRs marketing / export etc.)

4.   Enforcement of IPR by police, actions such as IPR- related FIR filed, raids/seizures made, and charge-sheets filed for IP infringements.

5.   In case of Top Indian Company for creating Global Brand(s), brand value, turnover outside India under the brand where it has worked, number of such global brands and global acceptance

An applicant, to be eligible for an IP Award, should be either an Individual or a Legal Entity. MSME, Startups, major industries, firms and societies registered in India, Indian subsidiary of a transnational corporation, Indian Academic institutions and R&D institutions registered as a legal entity in India are also eligible for the IP Awards.

Awardees will be selected by a jury comprising IP professionals, industry association, academia, R&D professionals and representative(s) of the Government of India. Also, in case of any specific issue, the jury reserves the right to co-opt a suitable person as a special invitee.

The details to all of this can be found here

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