Controller General of Patents, Designs and TradeMarks (CGPDTM)

Controller General of Patents, Designs, and Trade Marks (CGPDTM) is a key authority under the Government of India, responsible for administering laws related to intellectual property (IP) in India.

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Context: The Delhi High Court has dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the appointment of Unnat Pandit as the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks

About Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (CGPDTM)

CGPDTM is the head of the Indian Patent Office, which administers the laws related to patents, designs, trademarks, and geographical indications of goods in India. It is also known as the Indian Patent Office.
It administers various acts: The Patents Act, 1970, The Trade Marks Act, 1999 , The Designs Act, 2000, The Copyright Act, 1957 etc.
Nodal Ministry: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Objectives of CGPDTM

To promote innovation and creativity by safeguarding the rights of inventors, designers, and trademark owners.
To ensure transparent, efficient, and user-friendly services in IP registration and administration.
To foster awareness about intellectual property rights (IPR) among the public and businesses.

Structure

The CGPDTM operates through multiple offices across India:

Patent Offices: Located in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata.
Trade Marks Registries: Based in Mumbai (headquarters), with branches in Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, and Ahmedabad.
Designs Wing: Located in Kolkata.
Geographical Indications Registry: Located in Chennai.

Patent

It is an exclusive right provided by the government to the applicant for his/her disclosed invention of an industrial product or process that must be Novel, Non-obvious, Useful and Patentable as defined by national law.
A patent in India is valid for 20 years. The 20-year term was introduced by the Patents (Amendment) Act 2002. Before that, the term was 14 years.

Responsibilities of CGPDTM

The CGPDTM oversees the following aspects of intellectual property in India:

Patents:
- Granting patents for inventions.
- Ensuring compliance with the Patents Act, 1970.
- Maintaining records of granted patents and applications.
Designs:
- Administering the registration of industrial designs.
- Enforcing the Designs Act, 2000.
Trade Marks:
- Registration of trademarks for goods and services.
- Ensuring compliance with the Trade Marks Act, 1999.
- Maintaining a registry of trademarks.
Geographical Indications (GIs):
- Administering the registration of Geographical Indications under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.
Copyrights (related to industrial designs):
- Overseeing certain copyrights related to industrial designs.