Space Patents: A Reality Check In Indian Economy

The global space-patent economy is growing by leaps and bounds with respect to export and import volumes in the recent years. According to the Twelfth Five Year Plan (2012-2017), India is also contributing to the space race by assigning USD 7.4 billion¹ towards this. The major patentable space related inventions include general satellite technologies, Satellite navigation, Cosmonautics, Satellite communications, Satellite earth observation.² Now, outer space and patent rights are subject to two different schools of jurisprudence, and their regimes do not go hand in hand.

• The patent regime advocates monopolistic rights for the person exploiting the intellectual creations. Thus inventor would be entitled to reap the benefits of his or her invention by getting exclusive rights over the use of others, in terms of royalty.