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| Northern SMEs gear up to file for patents |
| Komal Amit Gera / Chandigarh Feb 16, 2010, 00:57 IST |
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Taking inspiration from their bigger brothers, small and medium units in the northern region are gearing up to seek patents for their products in the international market.
Although there is a cost involved for the small player (estimated at Rs 1-1.5 lakh in India and Rs 5-15 lakh in the United States), they have been losing crores of rupees because they have not obtained patents.
Talking to Business Standard, Jiten Talwar, director of Talwar and Talwar Consultants (a firm that is primarily engaged in providing consultancy services on intellectual property rights to small and medium enterprises located overseas), said that there is a growing awareness among SMEs in India about the benefits of seeking patents.
Talwar added that the sports goods cluster at Jalandhar, the handicrafts cluster at Patiala, the pharmaceuticals cluster at Baddi and the handloom cluster at Panipat can benefit a great deal by seeking product patents.
As of now local players trade through certified exporters, who earn exorbitant profits in the international market by paying only nominal amounts to manufacturers. This can be contained by getting products and processes patented, he said.
A reason that prevents SMEs from seeking patents is that it is a lengthy process. It takes about three years to get a patent and more time is required to obtain a licence. Short-term business cycles also affect the consistency of their businesses, prompting them to rely on export houses.
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