சிறு குறு மற்றும் நடுத்தர தொழில் முனைவோர் நிறுவனம் (MSME)

மற்றும்

கோயம்புத்தூர்  தங்க நகை தயாரிப்பாளர்கள் சங்கம் (CJMA)

இணைந்து நடத்திய 

வணிக வளர்ச்சி  கருத்தரங்கு 

14.03.2012

திரு.பாலாஜி ( செயலர் -CJMA )

அவர்கள் CJMA சங்கத்தில் செயலாளராக பொறுப்பு வகிதுவருகின்றார். சிறப்பான வரவேற்புரை ஆற்றி நிகழ்ச்சியாய் துவங்கிவைத்தார்.

திரு.முத்துவேங்கட்ராமன் – ( தலைவர் (CJMA)

அவர்கள் CJMA சங்கத்தில் தலைவராக பொறுப்பு ஆற்றி வரும் இவர் தங்க நகை தயாரிப்பு துறையின் மேன்ன்மையையும், அவற்றின் செயல் முறைகளையும் தெளிவுபட விவாதித்தும் விளகியும் சிறப்புரை ஆற்றினர். மற்றும்  சிறப்பு பேச்ச்சளர்களையும் அறிமுகபடுதியும் அமைந்தார்.

திரு.முத்துவேல்லப்பன் ( MSME துணை இயக்குநர்,சென்னை )

அவர்கள்  தங்க நகை தயாரிப்பு  மற்றும் உற்பத்தியுன் வளர்ச்சி பற்றி விளக்கினர்.  இதற்கு முன்பாக அரசால் அறிவிக்கப்பட்ட நல்ல திட்டங்களையும் அவற்றால்  தங்க நகை தயாரிப்பாளர்கள்  மற்றும்  பொருட்கொள்ளர்களுக்கு உண்டான பயன்பாடுகளை விளக்கி சிறப்புரை ஆற்றினர்.

திரு.பழனிவேல், ( MSME துணை இயக்குநர், கோயம்புத்தூர்)

அவர்கள் திட்ட ஆலோசனைகளையும் , கோயம்புத்தூர் தங்க நகை தயாரிப்பாளர்கள் அரசிடம்  இருந்து  பெற்று கொள்ள கூடிய சலுகைகளையும் விளக்கினர்.  

திருமதி .ஸ்வப்னா சுந்தர் .( தலைவர் IP DOME )

அவர்கள் IP DOME நிறுவனத்தின் தலைவர்  நிகழ்ச்சியின் போது  பொருளாதாரதில்  தங்க நகை தயாரிப்பாளர்கள்ளின் செயல்பாடு மற்றும் அடிப்படையான ,அதிகபடியான  லாபம் அடைவதற்கு பல  சாத்திய கூறுகளைக்கொண்ட சட்டரிதியான முறையில் ஆதாரத்துடன் விளக்கினார். தங்க நகை தயாரிப்பு  மற்றும் உற்பத்தியுன் தற்போதய வளர்ச்சி மற்றும்  உலக சந்தையில் அங்கிகாரம் பெறுவதற்கான திட்ட ஆலோசனையும் வழங்கினர் . தங்க நகை தயாரிப்பில் உள்ள பல விதமான தனித்துவத்தை  விவாதித்தும் பல விளக்கங்கள் கொடுத்ததும் தெளிவுபடுத்தினர்.

ப்ரமொதினி , வழக்கறிஞர் , (கோயம்புத்தூர் )

இன்றைய  சந்தையில்  தங்க நகை  தயாரிப்பபாளர்கள் சட்ட ரீதியாக  மேற்கொள்ளவேண்டிய பாதுகாப்பு நடவடிகைகளையும், வழிமுறைகளையும் அறிவித்தார்.  தங்க நகை தயாரிப்பின் உரிமையாளர்களுக்கும் பொருட்கொள்ளர்களுக்கும் உள்ள உறவை வலுபடுத்த ஆலோசனை வழங்கினர்.

                                                                                                                                                

கருத்தரங்கு  தீர்மானகளில் இருந்து கண்டறியப்பட்ட தேவைகளும் விளக்கங்களும்

பாரம்பரிய தொழில்

(i)   டும்ப ரீதியான தொழில் தொடர்ந்து நடைபெறுவதற்கு போதுமான அளவு வடிவமைக்கபட்ட கூட்டமைப்பு  (Structure)  மிக முக்கியம். 

(ii)     சுலபமாக லாபம் அடைவதற்கு சரியான நடைமுறை (Procedure)      அமைக்கபடுவது அவசியம்.

(iii)       பாரம்பரியத்தின் உண்மைகளையும் அதன் சிறப்புகளையும் வேளிகொண்டுவருவது. 

பொருட்கொள்ளர்களுக்கும் வியாபாரிகளுக்கும் உள்ள தொடர்பு

(i)     பொருட்கொள்ளர்களின் திறமையை பக்குவமாக கையாளுவது மற்றும் அவர்களுக்கு ஒழுங்கு நடவடிக்கைகளை கருத்தரங்குகளின் மூலம் தெரியப்பன்ணுதல் 

(ii)  பிற  துறைகளில் நடைபெறும் நடவடிக்கைகளை தொழில் ரீதியாக பார்வையுட (Industrial visit)அழைத்து செல்வது.

செயல்பாடுகள் 

(i)   மற்ற எந்த துறைகளிலும் இல்லாத வேறுபட்ட  நடைமுறை தங்கநகை துறையில் பயன்படுத்த படுகின்றது.

(ii) சரியான வடிவமைப்புடன் கூடிய  நடைமுறைகளை மேற்கொள்வது முக்கிய தேவையாகும்.  

     

மேற்கொள்ளவேண்டிய நடவடிக்கைகள்

(i)              தொழில் ரீதியான சரியான நடைமுறை அம்சங்களை அறிமுகப்படுத்துதல்.

(ii)     தொழிலாளர்களின் திறனை கண்டறிய குறிப்பிட்ட காலங்களில் கலந்தாய்வு மற்றும் கருத்தரங்குகளை மேற்கொள்ளுதல் 

(iii)       பொருட்கொள்ளர்களுகும் வியாபாரிகளுக்கும் இடையை உள்ள வியாபார ரீதியான தொடர்பை உறுதி படுத்தும் விதமாக அடிப்படையான ஓபந்தங்களை மேற்கொள்ளுதல்.

(iv)        மற்ற துறையில் இருந்து தங்க நகை துறையில் உண்டாக்கப்படவேண்டிய மற்றும் பெற்றுகொள்ளவேண்டிய தேவைகளை ஆராய்தல்.

(v)  தங்கநகை துறையின் நமக்கு உண்டான தனிப்பட்ட பாரம்பரியத்தையும் , புதுமைகளையும் ,சிறப்புகளையும் கண்டறிந்து அதை உலகமயமாகுதல்.

(vi)       பிற துறைகளுடன் இணைந்து புதுமைகளை கண்டறிந்து அதை அதிகார பூர்வமாக நடைமுறை படுத்துதல்.

(vii)  சிறந்த வழிமுறைகளை கொண்டு பாரம்பரியத்தின் உண்மைகளையும் அதன் சிறப்புகளையும்  உணர்த்தமுடியும்.

(viii)     வேறுபட்ட புதுமைகளை அறிமுகபடுதுவதன் முலம் வியாபாரத்தில் ஏற்படும் மாற்றங்களை எளிதாக அறியமுடியும்.

   

www.ipdome.in

 

SEMINAR ON IP IN IT INDUSTRY FEEDBACK REPORT

-Jagathis.S

IP Dome focus seminar on ‘IP in IT’ in association with MSME-DI Chennai, conducted on 24^th February, 2012, received much positive feedback from the participants which encourages us to continue with such programmes in the future.

Jayashree Selvam, Patent Analyst, IPR CELL, Anna University said that she found the technical sessions by Swapna Sundar and PVS Giridhar very useful for her work.

Mr. Anwer Basha, Infosystems Pvt. Ltd., said “this kind of seminar should be repeated in intervals of two to three months for awareness.

Mr. Harish Chowdhary, Lawyer and consultant was pleasantly surprised at the presence of our valedictory speaker, the dynamic Dr. Santhosh Babu, former IT Secretary, Govt. of TN. He also enjoyed the interactive session.

Mr. Vinoth kumar, Software Engineer, Accenture found that he had received a lot of useful information on IP which he could transmit to his colleagues and friends. Deepu Nair, Director, Oceans Machine Supply agrees with Mr. Vinoth Kumar.

Several participants mentioned that the sessions were well thought out and well-designed to communicate and over-all understanding of the use of IP in the IT industry. 

www.ipdome.in

UNIDO-VIT WORKSHOP ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAINING IN IP STRATEGY  

-Swapna Sundar

On 2 March 2012, I was at the pleasant campus of the Vellore Institute of technology (VIT), to provide one-day training on using intellectual property in business to about 24 budding entrepreneurs from the Mano River union in West Africa. The Mano River union was established in 1973 with the objective of sub-regional economic integration between the seven countries through which the river runs, however due to civil war and other conflicts in these countries, where diamond mining is the largest industry, the union did achieve much success. The Union was reactivated in 2004 as an economic and customs union. The three-month program was sponsored by the UNIDO Centre for South-South industrial cooperation in India and was organised by the VIT Technology Business Incubator. The Hindu carried a report on this group and 27 February 2012. http://www.thehindu.com/education/college-and-university/article2937997.ece

I spoke largely about the requirement for an intellectual property orientation in business from the beginning, and the role of intellectual property in the growth of scaling up of the business. It was interesting to note that the participants - largely from Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea - had business plans which had a community orientation integrated with the use of high technology. One example was Ms. Ella’s idea of a community laundry using recycled water. While this would help in the conservation of water, it would require certain high-tech alterations to be made in the laundry machines which you would undertake. Mr. Emanuel represented a company that managed energy consumption and was promoting the use of renewable resources including solar energy. In a community oriented project was the production of soy milk and products, and the preservation of these products in a manner that would be suitable for the climate of the region. Other interesting ideas were in the area of e-commerce, web designing, fashion technology, baby cereal, and agri-biotech.

Questions ranged from the use of copyright protection software and literary works to the construction of an IP architecture surrounding products. Issues raised were also contemporary such as the recent controversy between Chinua Achebe and the American rapper known as 50cent, where the latter desired to use “things fall apart" the title of Achebe’s phenomenal book on the postcolonial experience for his movie on how an athlete overcomes physical obstacles. 50 cent respecting the renowned author’s wish changed the title of his movie, even though there was no legal obligation on him to do so.

The reading material that we had prepared containing several exercises and case studies was much appreciated by the participants. They brought their experience and knowledge to the floor during the simulation exercise on negotiation. We were told by one of the participants from the Ministry of industry, Sierra Leone, where although he had attended several IPR workshops, this was the first one where he had actually learnt the implementation of an IP strategy. Discussions also centred around harmonisation of intellectual property rights globally, and how some developed countries develop sophisticated IPR systems that permitted the patenting of traditional knowledge, to the detriment of developing and least developed nations.

Participants also gave us input on their observations on the Indian economy, particularly our lack of concern about pollution, use/wastage of non-renewable resources, lack of balance between utility and expense to achieve the utility, and primarily the lack of a cosmopolitan mentality. These, they said, could be the primary obstacles they would face in their plans to expand into India.

Personally for me, and my colleague Hariprasad, the experience was invigorating not only because of the interesting connection to the culture of the participants, but also to learn from them how intellectual property operated in their countries. 

www.ipdome.in

 

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

-Swapna Sundar

On occasion of International women's Day, I thought I could highlight some important inventions made the women, which make our lives easier. I have chosen recent, universal and interesting cutting edge technologies. By no means comprehensive, this list is only indicative of the contribution of women to science and invention.

Laser assisted cataract surgery: Dr Patricia Bath's passionate dedication to the treatment and prevention of blindness letter to develop the Cataract Laserphaco Probe.The probe patented in 1988 (#4,744,360), was designed to use the power of a laser to quickly and painlessly vaporize cataracts from patients' eyes, replacing the more common method of using a grinding, drill-like device to remove the afflictions.Patricia Bath's was for a method for removing cataract lenses that transformed eye surgery by using a laser device making the procedure more accurate.Patricia Bath also holds patents for her invention in Japan, Canada, and Europe.

Disposable diapers: unhappy with leaky, cloth diapers that had to be washed, Marion Donovan-a young mother-invented the "boater", a plastic covering for cloth diapers. Marion Donovan made her first Boater using a shower curtain.A year later she carried her ideas further. Using disposable absorbent material and combining it with her Boater design, Marion Donovan created the first convenient waterproof diaper. Donovan was granted four patents for her diaper cover, including the use of plastic snaps as opposed to safety pins. Unable to sell or license diaper patent, which manufacturers thought would be too expensive to produce, she went into business for herself and later sold the company for US$ 1 million.

Donovan was granted 20 patents from 1951 to 1996. These included woman-related essentials and other convenience items, such as a facial tissue box, storage container box, towel dispenser, hosiery clamp, envelope and writing sheet combination, closet organizer, and dental flossing products. In 1985, she invented the product DentaLoop, a two-ply dental floss that eliminated the need to wrap the dental floss around one's finger for use.

Kevlar: Many police officers over their lives to Stephanie Kwolek, who invented in patented Kevlar-the material used in bullet-proof vests- in 1966. Kwolek’s research with high performance chemical compounds for the DuPont Company led to the development of a synthetic material called Kevlar which is five times stronger than the same weight of steel, does not rust nor corrode and is extremely lightweight. Other applications of the compound include underwater cables, brake linings, space vehicles, boats, parachutes, skis, and building materials. She would ultimately obtain 28 patents during her 40-year tenure as a research scientist.

The Barbie Doll: The Barbie Doll was invented by Ruth Handler who named her after her daughter Barbara. In the first year (1959), 300,000 Barbie dolls were sold.To date, over 70 fashion designers have made clothes for Mattel, the company that manufactures Barbie, using over 105 million yards of fabric.In 1965, Barbie first had bendable legs, and eyes that open and shut. In 1967, a Twist 'N Turn Barbie was released that had a moveable body that twisted at the waist.

Computerised telephone switching system: In 1954, Erna Schneider Hoover as a researcher at Bell laboratories in New Jersey started work as a researcher at Bell Laboratories in New Jersey, created the first computerised telephone switching system which could monitor incoming calls and automatically adjust the cause acceptance rate. This helped eliminate overloading problems. The principles of Erna Schneider Hoover's design are still used today. She was awarded one of the first software patents ever issued (Patent #3,623,007, Nov. 23, 1971).

Disposable cell-phone: In November of 1999 Randice-Lisa "Randi" Altschul was issued a series of patents for the world's first disposable cell phone. Trademarked the Phone-Card-Phone®, the device is the thickness of three credit cards and made from recycled paper products. This is a real cell phone (outgoing messages only) with 60 minutes of calling time and a hands free attachment. You can add more minutes or throw the device away after your calling time is used up. However, with the planned additional magnetic strip the cell phone would double as a credit card, swipeable for purchases with free airtime credits as a bonus. The retail price of the invention should average twenty dollars, with a two or three dollar rebate for returning the phone instead of trashing it.

The 2" by 3" cell phone will be manufactured by Altschul'sDieceland Technologies. The entire phone body, touch pad and circuit board will be made of paper substrate. The paper-thin cell phone uses an elongated flexible circuit which will be one piece with the body of the phone, part of the patented STTTM technology. The ultra thin circuitry is made by applying metallic conductive inks to paper which becomes the body of the unit, and also becomes its own built-in tamper-proof system because as soon as you cut it open, you break the circuits and the phone goes dead.

White out: Bette Nesmith Graham, a Dallas secretary and a single mother, used her own kitchen blender to mix up her first batch of liquid paper or white out, a substance used to cover up mistakes made on paper while typing.

Bette Nesmith Graham put some tempera waterbased paint, colored to match the stationery she used, in a bottle and took her watercolor brush to the office. She used this to correct her typing mistakes. Soon another secretary saw the new invention and asked for some of the correcting fluid. Graham found a green bottle at home, wrote "Mistake Out" on a label, and gave it to her friend. Soon all the secretaries in the building were asking for some, too.

In 1956, Bette Nesmith Graham started the Mistake Out Company (later renamed Liquid Paper) from her North Dallas home. After getting fired from a job, she devoted herself to selling Liquid Paper, and business boomed.

By 1967, it had grown into a million dollar business. In 1968, she moved into her own plant and corporate headquarters, automated operations, and had 19 employees. That year Bette Nesmith Graham sold one million bottles. In 1975, Liquid Paper moved into a 35,000-sq. ft., international headquarters building in Dallas. The plant had equipment that could produce 500 bottles a minute. In 1976, the Liquid Paper Corporation turned out 25 million bottles. Its net earnings were $1.5 million. The company spent $1 million a year on advertising, alone. Graham died in 1980, six months after selling her corporation for $47.5 million.

Petroleum refining filter: Edith Flanigen retired in 1994, having earned 108 U.S. patents in the fields of petroleum research and product development.

In 1956, Flanigen began working on the developing technology of molecular sieves, crystal compounds that work like strainers at the molecular level which could be used to filter and separate components of very complex mixtures. They can also work as catalysts for chemical reactions. The sieves she developed would have a wide range of critical applications in the petroleum and petrochemical refining industries. In particular, her development of the substance known as “zeolite Y” gave the world a sieve that has the ability break crude oil down into parts, a necessary step that allows the various parts to be used commercially. For example, her zeolite Y sieve is able to optimize conversion of crude oil to gasoline. This sieve helps to make oil refining cleaner, safer and more efficient.

Flanigen has said that one of her strengths throughout her career has been her ability to discover a new material and see it through to commercialization. Her sieves are also used in water purification and environmental cleanup and can be used to make ethylene and propylene, which are elements necessary to the manufacture of some plastics.

In addition to her work on molecular sieves, Flanigen also co-invented a synthetic emerald, which Union Carbide produced and sold for many years. The emeralds were used mainly in masers (predecessors to lasers) and were even used in jewelry for a time, in a line marketed as the “Quintessa Collection.” Flanigen also pioneered the use of mid-infrared spectroscopy for analyzing zeolite structures.

Non-reflective glass:

Katherine Blodgett’s research on monomolecular coatings with Nobel Prize winning Dr. Irving Langmuir led her to a revolutionary discovery. She discovered a way to apply the coatings layer by layer to glass and metal. The thin films, which naturally reduced glare on reflective surfaces, when layered to a certain thickness, would completely cancel out the reflection from the surface underneath. This resulted in the world’s first 100% transparent or invisible glass. Katherine Blodgett’s patented film and process (1938) has been used for many purposes including limiting distortion in eyeglasses, microscopes, telescopes, camera and projector lenses. 

Katherine Blodgett received U.S patent #2,220,660 on March 16, 1938 for the "Film Structure and Method of Preparation" or invisible, nonreflective glass.  Katherine Blodgett also inventec a special color gauge for measuring the thickness of these films of glass, since 35,000 layers of film only added up to the thickness of a sheet of paper.

The following link has the name of Indian women inventors who have won the WIPO gold medal http://www.wipo.int/ip-outreach/en/awards/women/pdf/in.pdf

A more comprehensive list of women inventors

http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0768070…

http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/whm4.html

http://inventors.about.com/od/womeninven…

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ENGINEERING PATENTS

-Swapna Sundar

Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes.

The importance of engineering and modern human history cannot be discounted. From James Watt’s steam engine, the ancient printing presses of the Chinese, to the most ingenious inventions of the 20th century such as electricity, auto mobiles, bridges, air travel and architectural ingenuity are all the result of engineering innovation. Patterns in engineering may relate to simple devices such as hammers, dental floss dispensing devices, and moulded plastic containers to more complex inventions such as turbocharger devices, medical devices, torque converters, vehicle lighting and mirrors, satellite deployment mechanisms, engine air flow management procedures and processes etc.

In addition to protecting the mechanical article itself, patterns can be filed and prosecuted for methods of manufacture of the devices as well as methods of using an controlling the mechanical devices,  in certain jurisdictions. Further, all manufacturing processes, for example, metal working and treatment, printing, textile manufacturing, etc. are regarded under mechanical patents.

The future of mechanical means, like those of business methods of those relating to the Internet and e-commerce, is uniformly bright in various sectors including automotive, robotics, printing technology, textiles and manufacturing.

Are patent expensive?

Most SMEs in the manufacturing sector consider that the inexpensive and difficult task. Embarking on a road to innovation and patenting could in certain cases lead the company to spend vast sums of money on research and development, patent office fees, attorneys professional fees, renewal fees and then spend virtually endless amounts of money litigating with infringers, but there are other alternatives.

The way to limit IP costs is to be very judicious with a protection mechanism that you intend to use. Some ideas are:

1.      

   Protect trade secrets: if disclosure has the effect of educating a competitor and how the invention is to be built or used, it is better not to disclose the invention. Secondly, if it is impossible to detect infringement, the invention or idea is properly not appropriate for patenting. Trade secrets must be protected with clear policies of disclosure on a need-to-know basis within and outside the company.

2.       Protect the ideas with the highest priority: it is not necessary to protect every detectable idea. Often only one or two key ideas would have to be infringed by the competitor in order to copy the bulk of the product. Even if there are many patentable innovations in the product, it may be important to identify those with the highest priority and protect them.

3.       Reducing the preparation cost: do as much research as possible into the prior art, including Internet searches, patent searches, and research competitor’s products. Define the differences between the invention and the prior art. Define the exact features that need to be covered from a competitive standpoint as well as a functional standpoint. This definition will be further refined by the patent professional during the patent preparation and prosecution stages.

4.       Have a business plan: prosecute only those parties which have strategic importance for your company, and will help you to overcome competition. If the patent or idea that you have is not crucial to the core business of your company, look for licensing opportunities.

5.       Find a firm that suits your needs: the biggest falls may not have time for smaller clients or price their services very high. It also not give priority to small companies or individual inventors. For budgeting and management purposes, consider hiring a firm that gives fixed fee quotes as opposed to paying by the hour. The former method encourages the firm to be efficient and constrains the costs, while the second method is often abused at the expense of the client.

Also preparing and filing your own patent and prosecuting it in-house may be less expensive initially, it may prove costly as there are considerable risks involved in filing and prosecuting applications without a trained professional. This is a decision you would have to make based on your understanding of the in-house skills and competences required prosecuting your patent.

6.       Follow the process: the longer it takes for the preparation and filing of your patent, the longer it will take to launch a product on the market. There would be delays such as in identifying specific threats from the competition and analysing prior art, however once these crucial steps are done it is essential to keep the timeline prescribed by your attorney. It may help to decide in advance who the applicant of the patent is in India, it is possible for the promoter of a company to file the patent and subsequently license it to the company. However in the US, it is essential for the inventor to be the applicant.

7.       Monitoring of the patent: this includes delays in prosecution, other steps such as filing of patents under the patent cooperation Treaty or Paris Convention treaty, and staying up-to-date on the timelines. Failure to keep to the timelines may prove fatal to the prosecution and in many cases. One example is, the Indian patent office requires the filing of a request for examination within four years of the filing of the application. Failure to file a request for examination within four years would result in the application being treated as abandoned by the patent office.

8.       Enforcement of the patent: the first of an endorsement of the patent is vigilance. The cost of enforcing a patent is very high whether in India or in any other country. It is essential for any pattern to be aware that if this product is going to succeed in the market you will be competition. One way to avoid the disastrous consequences of cheap counterfeit products in the market is to build a brand that is recognisable and trusted by the consumers. A constant innovation model may also help in keeping the patent is invention ahead of the competition in the market.

     

      Getting a strong mechanical patent

A strong mechanical patent is one that solves a crucial problem for the consumer and a significantly different from all other solutions provided in the prior art. Primary in the attempt to get a strong mechanical patent is keeping ahead of the technology, and keeping abreast of the evolving technology trend in academia and industry.

Many small companies in India are tying up with governmental and private universities, research establishments and incubation centres in order to acquire new technologies "hot off the oven". Technology from universities and integration centres with the cheaper to acquire than licensing the same technology from industry. However, they may require industrial level scaling up, or further development which will be an expensive proposition small company. The government offers several grants, soft loans and integration opportunities to translate academic technology development into industrial inventions.

The MSME ministry, the Department of biotechnology, the Department of industry and science and the various directorates at state level can help with these initiatives.

Copyright Swapna Sundar, 2012

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IP AND CREATIVITY

-Team IP Dome

நாம் இன்று உலகில் காணும் எந்தப் பொருளும் முதலில் ஒரு மனிதனின் கற்பனையில் தோன்றி அதன் பின்னரே வெளியில் பொருளாக உருவெடுத்தது. நாம் இவைகளைக் ’கண்டுபிடிப்புகள்’ என்று அழைக்கிறோம். கண்டுபிடிப்புகள் ஒரு பொருளாக (Product) இருக்கலாம், செயல்முறையாக (Process) இருக்கலாம், ஏன் ஒரு கலைப்படைப்பாகக் கூட இருக்கலாம்.  நிறுவனங்களும், தனிமனிதர்களும் தங்கள் நேரத்தையும், சக்தியையும் செலவு செய்து சில புதிய பொருட்களையோ அல்லது செயல் முறைகளையோ கண்டுபிடிக்கின்றனர். இக்கண்டுபிடிப்புகள் மூலம் ஈட்டப்படும் செல்வமும் புகழும் அந்த நிறுவனத்தையோ, மனிதரையோ சென்றடைவதே முறை.  அது அவர்களது உரிமை. இதற்கு அறிவு சொத்துரிமை (Intellectual Property) சட்டம் பாதுகாப்பளிக்கிறது. கண்டுபிடுப்புகளுக்கு கொடுக்கப்படும் காப்புரிமையாகவோ (Patent Right) அல்லது, கலைப்படைப்புகளுக்கு கொடுக்கப்படும் பதிப்புரிமையாகவோ (Copyright) இவை இருக்கலாம். நிறுவனங்களுக்கான வணிக குறீயீட்டுக்கான உரிமையும் (Trade Mark) இவற்றில் ஒன்று.

வளர்ந்து வரும் தொழில் நுட்பமும், பெருகி வரும் நுகர்வோரும் இன்றைய வியாபார உலகில் நிறைய சாத்தியக்கூறுகளை உருவாக்கி வைத்திருக்கின்றன. புதிய கண்டுபிடிப்புகள், நுகர்வோரின் தேவைகளை நியாயமான முறையில் பூர்த்தி செய்யும் என்றால் என்ன விலை கொடுத்தும் வாங்க மக்களும், நிறுவனங்களும் தயாராக இருக்கிறார்கள். புதிய கண்டுபிடிப்புகளுக்கு, செயல்முறைகளுக்கு, உத்திகளுக்கான தேவை பெருகி வருகிறது. இந்தத் தேவைகள் சரியான முறையில் நிறைவேற்றப்பட வேண்டுமானால் அதற்கு இணையாக படைப்பாற்றலும் ஊக்கப்படுத்தப்பட வேண்டும்.

படைப்பாற்றல் (creativity) அல்லது ஆக்கதிறன் என்பது புதிய கருத்துக்களை, அல்லது பொருட்களை ஆக்க கூடிய சிந்தனையையும் அதைச் செயற்படுத்த வல்ல ஆற்றலையும் குறிக்கிறது. காப்புரிமை பெறாதபோது செல்வமும் புகழும் தகுதியற்றவர்களைச் சென்றடைகிறது. போலிகள் பெருக வழி வகுக்கிறது. இது படைப்பாற்றலை, ஆக்கபூர்வமான சிந்தனைப் போக்கை தவறான முறையில் பாதிக்கும்.

                                                      

தன் படைப்பாற்றலால், சிந்தனை முயற்சியால் உருவான ஒரு பொருள் அல்லது செயல்முறைக்கான பலன் வேறு யாருக்கோ போய்ச் சேருமென்றால் அந்தப் படைப்பாளி அல்லது நிறுவனம் எவ்வாறு தொடர்ந்து படைப்பாற்றலுடன் செயல்பட இயலும்?

சரியான காப்புரிமை இருக்கும் பட்சத்தில் படைப்பாற்றல் ஊக்குவிக்கப்படுகிறது. புதிய ஆய்வுகளுக்கான சாத்தியக்கூறுகள் அதிகரிக்கிறது. எனவே படைப்பாற்றலை ஏதுவாக்குவதில் காப்புரிமை சட்டத்திற்கும் ஒரு முக்கிய பங்குண்டு. 

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TRADEMARKS IN IT

-Team IP Dome

Trademarks are any word, term, name, symbol, or device, or any combination thereof that are used in commerce as brand names, domain names, tag lines, slogans, non-functional or what is known as trade dress- distinctive packaging and labeling designs, etc. to indicate the source of a good (product) or service and distinguish (make distinctive) one good (product) or service from another.

In layman’s language, the trade mark is a visual symbol which may be a word, signature, name, device, label, numerals or combination of colors used by one undertaking on goods or services or other articles of commerce to distinguish it from other similar goods or services originating from a different undertaking.

Trademarks are often confused with the related term ‘Brand’. Simply put, a brand is the idea or image of a specific product or service that consumers connect with, by identifying the name, logo, slogan, or design of the company who owns the idea or image. Branding is when that idea or image is marketed so that it is recognizable by more and more people, and identified with a certain service or product when there are many other companies offering the same service or product.

A trademark is highly significant to a business or organization because the general public identifies the mark with the provider of good and/or services. This means the general public equates the mark with the reputation of the goods and/or services. An enterprise's trademark can frequently be its most valuable asset. A study conducted at Columbia University found that for consumer products and services, well-managed brands typically represent 50 to 80 percent of the entire value of their companies. For business to business products and services, the percentages were lower but still significant – 20 to 30 percent.

The opportunities for expansion, franchising, and e-commerce in today's global economy make brand recognition and brand integrity more important than ever. It is therefore extremely essential for emerging companies and start-ups to take necessary action to insure the integrity of its trademark by registering it.  By protecting a trademark, an enterprise is in effect protecting its reputation while discouraging counterfeiting and imposters. A carefully selected and nurtured trademark is avaluable business asset for most companies. Therefore, the very ownershipof a trademark with a good image and reputationprovides a company with a competitive edge.

 In India, the trade mark laws are governed by Trade Marks Act, 1999 which is in conformity with the TRIPS Agreement to which India is a signatory.  Other sources which affect the trademark law are International Multilateral Convention, National Bilateral Treaty, Regional Treaty, Decision of the Courts, Office practice and rulings, Decision of Intellectual Property Appellate Board. The Trademarks Registry had been functioning since 1.9.1940 for the administration of the Trade and Merchandise Marks Act, 1958 read with the Trade and Merchandise Rules, 1959 Since September 20, 2003 the Trademarks Act 1999 read with The Trademark Rules 2001 has come in force. Apart from the above, the Trade Marks Registry has other functions like issue of search reports as to whether an identical or deceptively similar trade mark is already registered or filed, preliminary advice regarding distinctiveness of a trade mark, issuing of search certificate for use under the Copyright Act, preparation of search materials, maintenance of Register of Trade Marks.

Before filing a trademark application, it is necessary to identify the classes in which you wish to seek protection for your trademark.An application should be made in the relevant classes of current goods/services as well as in classes where there is intent to use. Various kinds of Goods and services, which are classified according to the International Classification of goods and services, are covered under Nice Classification that provides a list of such goods and services falling in different classes. [Indications of Goods and/or Services] Each registration and any publication effected by an Office which concerns an application or registration and which indicates goods and/or services shall indicate the goods and/or services by their names, grouped according to the classes of the Nice Classification, and each group shall be preceded by the number of the class of that Classification to which that group of goods or services belongs and shall be presented in the order of the classes of the Classification. [Goods or Services in the Same Class or in Different Classes] (a) Goods or services may not be considered as being similar to each other on the ground that, in any registration or publication by the Office, they appear in the same class of the Nice Classification. (b) Goods or services may not be considered as being dissimilar from each other on the ground that, in any registration or publication by the Office, they appear in different classes of the Nice Classification.

The following list gives general information about the goods and services covered in each class by most of the IT companies in general.

Class 9Scientific, nautical, surveying, photographic, cinematographic, optical, weighing, measuring, signaling, checking (supervision), life-saving and teaching apparatus and instruments; apparatus and instruments for conducting, switching, transforming, accumulating, regulating or controlling electricity; apparatus for recording, transmission or reproduction of sound or images; magnetic data carriers, recording discs; automatic vending machines and mechanisms for coin-operated apparatus; cash registers, calculating machines, data processing equipment and computers; fire-extinguishing apparatus.

Class 35 Advertising; business management; business administration; office functions.

Class 36Insurance; financial affairs; monetary affairs; real estate affairs.

Class 38 Telecommunications

Class 41 Education; providing of training; entertainment; sporting and cultural activities.

Class 42Scientific and technological services and research and design relating thereto; industrial analysis and research services; design and development of computer hardware and software.

Please note that other classes may also be relevant for specific products/services. The above information is provided so as to give a basic strategic understanding of key operational areas of Indian/Global IT industry.

References:

www.wipo.int

www.uspto.gov

www.ipindia.nic.in

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