As per Oxford Dictionary, the word ‘patent’ refers to official document conferring a right or title, especially the sole right to make, use or sell a specified invention. The catchword here is ‘invention’. What this means is that if you’ve invented or discovered something – usually related to science – you’ll want to put a stamp on that, meaning only you own it.
A natural conclusion from above can be that if there’s an increase in the number of patent submission, it would inter alia indicate that there’s an increase in scientific talent. Going by the recent report that there’s a healthy growth in patent application in India by as much as 30% each year, it perhaps calls for celebration on account of spurt in Indian talent.
But that would not be, for nearly 80% of patent applications originate from foreign companies. And ironically, this is a cause for concern. Why?
The reason may be that since we the Indians are quite adept at copying others’ inventions (and perhaps calling them our own!), the foreign entities just do not wish to take any chance, which is why there is a rush of foreign patent applications.
The Patent Office of India, currently headquartered in Kolkata, will be the ideal source to confirm if that is true. But suppose my surmise is correct, what does that tell us? It speaks volumes about our dubious ability to duplicate others’ efforts. More than that, it tells what a nation of 1 billion is not what it ought to be capable of – which is to be the torchbearer of progress of science.
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