Centre extends IPR protection scheme for start-ups till 2020

New Delhi April 25 (IANS) The Indian government has extended the Start-Ups Intellectual Property Protection (SIPP) scheme for three years till March 2020 in a bid to continue the protection of entrepreneurs patents trademark and designs.

The scheme in force till March 31 2017 is being extended further for a period of three years the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) has announced through a circular.

The scheme of SIPP aims to promote awareness and adoption of intellectual property rights (IPR) among start-ups. The scheme is inclined to nurture and mentor innovative and emerging technologies among start-ups and assist them in protecting and commercialise it by providing them access to high-quality IP services and resources the DIPP said.

Start-ups covered under this scheme will not be required to get a A-certificate of an eligible business from the Inter-Ministerial Board of Certification it said.

However start-ups will be required to give a self-declaration that they have not availed funds under any other government scheme for the purpose of paying the facilitator/patent agent/trademark agent for filing and prosecuting their IP application DIPP added.

In 2016 the government announced several incentives including tax benefits under a Start-up India Action Plan.

While the DIPP has empanelled several facilitators for providing IPR-related services to start-ups the government has decided to bear the entire cost of facilitation for filing of patents trademarks or designs.

--IANS
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