Proposed Amendments To Patent Rules 2003 Impact Examination And Opposition Processes

The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry have issued draft rules to amend the Patent Rules, 2003 (available here: See). The following major changes have been proposed in these draft rules:

1. Expedited examination now available for small entities, female individuals, and government undertakings:

Expedited examination processes allow patent applicants, at an enhanced fee, to speed up the patent application process. An ordinary examination process can take anywhere from a period of 2 years to 4 years (for more information on the patent filing process, see: ). The expedited examination process reduces this time period considerably.