Govt issues 1,121 intellectual property certificates in H1

KATHMANDU, MAR 26 -

The Department of Industry (DoI) issued 1,121 intellectual property (IP) certificates, including 1,198 trademarks and 13 designs, in the first half of this fiscal year.

Of the total certificates, 538 were issued to foreign products, while the rest to local ones.

DoI is the only institution in Nepal that issues IP certificates and resolves IP violation cases. The department issues four types of the IP certificates — trademarks, patents, product designs and collective mark.

DoI officials said with Nepali companies getting conscious about their brands amid stiff competition, the number of IP registrations has increased. In the same period last year, 793 IP certificates, including 791 trademarks and two patents were issued to 416 foreign and 375 local firms.

DoI Director General Dhruba Lal Rajbanshi said Nepali companies are getting aware about the significance of their brand value that can be developed and preserved through IP registration.

He said an additional 300 IP applications filed by local companies are currently being processed at the department. “This year, we have adopted strict provisions for issuing IP certificates keeping in mind IP rights violation cases in the past,” he said.

“Therefore, the processing time is longer this time,” he added.

DoI has been issuing IP certificates once in three months, according to Rajbanshi.

“The surge in the number of companies seeking IP certification despite such a rigorous process in place is really encouraging,” he said. “The number of IP issuance is expected to double this year compared to last year’s figure.”

DoI Spokesperson Ram Saran Chimoriya said besides big companies, even small and cottage industries have also begun claiming IP certificates. “High export potential of Nepali goods also encouraged the companies to seek IP certification,” said Chimoriya, who also heads DoI’s Industrial Property Division.

As an IP certificate is issued to an innovative product, the surge in the number of companies seeking the certificate suggests Nepali companies are getting innovative, professional and research-oriented, the officials said.

In the first six months of the fiscal year, the department received 197 IP rights violation complaints. “All the complaints are related

to trademark violation and a majority of them has come from manufacturing industries,” said Chimoriya, adding the growing number of complaints also suggest increased awareness of Nepali companies about IP.

During the six-month period, the department settled 25 IP rights violation cases.

Source: The Kathmandu Post