Whalesbook
Aisa nahi hai ki system mein koi rules nahi hain, rules toh hain, par unko follow karne mein time lag raha hai. Reports ke hisab se, India mein patent opposition ke mamle bahut lambe chal rahe hain, saalon saal lag jaate hain. 2024-25 mein hi Indian Patent Office ko 239 pre-grant aur 101 post-grant oppositions mile hain. Aur yeh jo case hai na, yeh saalon tak chalta rehta hai, kabhi kabhi toh ek patent ke liye 12 saal tak lag gaye hain!
Madras High Court ne bhi Patent Office ko daanta hai ki woh dhyan nahi de rahe, jisse ek ek patent ke liye 9 saal tak ka delay ho raha hai. Iska seedha matlab hai ki companies ko unke patent ka protection ka time kam mil raha hai. Jab competition market mein entry karne ke liye itna time mil jayega toh company ka profit kaise hoga?
Dusri taraf, India ka patent system global standards se thoda slow hai. US mein toh filing ke time hi examination start ho jaati hai, jabki India mein filing ke 48 mahine baad tak request file kar sakte hain aur pehle action mein 12-24 mahine lag jaate hain. Matlab, patent milne mein 2-5 saal lag sakte hain. Ab reforms se yeh time 31 mahine tak karne ki koshish hai, jo thoda US aur Europe ke aas paas hai. European Patent Office (EPO) mein saal mein 3,500 opposition aate hain aur sirf 5% patents ko opposition face karna padta hai. Par India mein kaafi zyada patents opposition mein fase hue hain. Yeh sab cheezein Indian pharmaceutical sector ko pareshan kar rahi hain, jiska market cap ₹17.6 Trillion hai aur P/E ratio 33.0x ke aas paas hai. Analysts bhi iske long-term growth ko lekar zyada optimistic nahi hain.
Is pura scene ko "patent purgatory" bhi bol rahe hain log. Matlab, patents itne lambe time tak attachment mein rehte hain ki companies sochti hain ki India mein R&D karna faydemand hai bhi ya nahi. Competition wale bina matlab ke challenges file karke companies ko delay karwa dete hain. Is unpredictable system se foreign investment bhi kam ho sakti hai. Agar yeh situation improve nahi hui toh companies dusre countries mein shift ho jayengi jahan IP system smooth hai. Is problem ka solution sirf rules change karne se nahi hoga, usko strict tarike se implement karna padega aur baseless cases ko filter out karna padega.