Reports: India to Set Up Dedicated Patents Court

As India awaits the approval of its new WTO-compliant patent legislation, local reports suggest that the government could set up a special court to handle the expected rise in intellectual property cases in the country. An international delegation of patent specialists and industry representatives is also understood to have recommended the creation of a dedicated agency for the purpose.

The likely inadequacy of patent enforcement after the new patent law's introduction has been a known factor for quite some time. Senior Indian legal officials have admitted that the country's legal system lacks the necessary specialists and, despite the recent opening of 10 new regional patent offices, the country is unlikely to be able to handle claims efficiently in the short term.