2,000 software patent applications filed in '05

MNCs file 85 per cent of the applications.

The number of applications for patents filed in the software sector has seen a huge increase in the last two years. Recent changes in the patents law have made this possible, as evident in 2,000 applications being filed in the last one year alone. The number of applications was as many between 2000-2003.

The number of patents granted has also shot up from 110 between 2000-03, to about 600 in 2004. In 2005, about 1,100 patent applications are awaiting opposition proceedings.

The department of information technology has constituted a five-member team to study the sudden increase in the number of patents applications.

"The government is concerned with the dramatic increase in the number of patents applications that have been filed in the last two years," officials told Business Standard.

Since 85 per cent of these applications have been filed by multinational companies, the department has asked the team to submit its report in the next two months. "The biggest worry is that 85 per cent of these patents applications are being filed by MNCs," the official added.

In 2004, about 1,500 applications were filed for software patents, of which 500 were issued patents.

This increase, however, is welcomed by patents experts as this makes India a hub of innovation in technology.

"In 2005, computer-related inventions were allowed patents and this has spurred patents activity in the last one year. The number of applications has increased tremendously since 2004, and this is likely to go further up," said patents attorney Pravin Anand.

Recent changes made in the Indian patents law allow patents for computer-related inventions like applied software ""software used in cars, washing machines and music systems. Till recently, only embedded software""where software is intrinsically linked with hardware "" was allowed patents.

The pace is likely to pick up even more in the coming year. "With more and more MNCs setting up research labs in India, the number of patents granted for software is only going to increase," added Anand.