Supreme Court Judgments on Patent Law in India
Patent Act 1970 with Supreme Court & High Court’s leading cases,
Comparison with India, US, UK & EU
Blog by:
Jayprakash B. Somani,
Advocate, Supreme Court of India & IP,
Cell: PA 9322188701
www.jayprakashsomani.com
www.supremecourtlawfirm.com
Part A
The Patents Act, 1970 – Comprehensive Analysis
1. Introduction
The Patents Act, 1970 is the principal
legislation governing patent protection in India. It provides a legal
framework for granting exclusive rights over inventions, balancing
innovation incentives with public interest.
The Act has been amended multiple times, notably in 1999,
2002, and 2005, to align with the TRIPS Agreement. (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual
Property Rights- World Trade Organisation WTO)
2. Structure of the Act
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Total Chapters: 20
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Total Sections: 163
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Schedules: No formal schedules (rules are
contained in the Patent Rules, 2003)
Chapter-wise Overview (Key Themes)
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Chapter I: Preliminary (Definitions –
Section 2)
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Chapter II: Non-patentable inventions
(Section 3)
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Chapter III–IV: Application, publication
& examination
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Chapter V: Opposition proceedings
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Chapter VIII: Grant & rights of
patentees
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Chapter XII: Revocation
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Chapter XVI: Compulsory licensing
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Chapter XVIII: Infringement suits
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Chapter XXIII: Miscellaneous provisions
3. Important Sections of the Act
(A) Patentability & Definitions
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Section 2(1)(j) – Definition of invention
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Section 2(1)(ja) – Inventive step
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Section 3 – Non-patentable inventions
(e.g., software per se, abstract ideas)
(B) Application & Specification
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Section 6 – Persons entitled to apply
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Section 7 – Form of application
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Section 10 – Contents of specification
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Must fully describe invention, best method, and
claims (IP India)
(C) Publication & Examination
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Section 11A – Publication of application
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Section 11B – Request for examination
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Section 12–15 – Examination and
refusal/amendment
(D) Opposition
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Section 25 – Pre-grant and post-grant
opposition
(E) Grant & Rights
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Section 43 – Grant of patent
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Section 48 – Rights of patentees
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Section 53 – Term of patent (20 years)
(F) Compulsory Licensing
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Section 84 – Compulsory licence
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Section 92A – Export of patented drugs
(G) Assignment & Licensing
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Section 68 – Assignment must be in
writing
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Section 69 – Registration of assignments
(H) Revocation
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Section 64 – Revocation of patent
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Section 66 – Revocation in public
interest
(I) Infringement & Remedies
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Section 104 – Jurisdiction
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Section 107 – Defences
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Section 108 – Reliefs (injunction,
damages)
4. Rights of Patent Holder
(1) Exclusive Right to Exploit the Invention
Under Section 48, the patentee has the exclusive
right to:
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Make
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Use
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Sell
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Import
the patented product or process.
?? This prevents unauthorized commercial exploitation.
(2) Right to License or Assign
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Under Sections 68–69, patents can be:
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Licensed
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Assigned (fully or partially)
?? These rights allow monetization of innovation.
(3) Right to Sue for Infringement
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Under Sections 104–108, patentee can:
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File civil suit
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Seek injunction
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Claim damages or account of profits
?? Enforcement is a key component of patent protection.
(4) Other Rights
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Right to surrender patent (Section 63)
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Right to amend (Section 57)
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Right to exploit commercially
5. Leading Supreme Court Judgments
(A) Novartis AG v. Union of India
Citation: (2013) 6 SCC 1
Principle:
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Section 3(d) restricts “evergreening” of
pharmaceutical patents
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Reinforced access to affordable medicines
(B) Bishwanath Prasad Radhey Shyam v. Hindustan Metal
Industries
Citation: (1979) 2 SCC 511
Principle:
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Defined inventive step and obviousness test
(C) F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. v. Cipla Ltd.
(Primarily Delhi HC, principles widely followed)
Principle:
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Clarified patent infringement standards in
pharma sector
(D) Enercon (India) Ltd. v. Aloys Wobben
Citation: (2014) 5 SCC 1
Principle:
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Clarified jurisdiction and revocation vs
infringement proceedings
6. Impact on Trade and Industry in India
(1) Boost to Innovation & R&D
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Encourages investment in:
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Pharmaceuticals
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Biotechnology
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Technology sector
(2) Growth of Pharmaceutical Industry
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India became a global generic medicine hub
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Balanced patent protection with affordability
(via Section 3(d))
(3) Attracts Foreign Investment
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Strong IP regime increases FDI inflows
(4) Technology Transfer & Licensing
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Enables commercialization via:
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Licensing agreements
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Joint ventures
(5) Public Interest Protection
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Compulsory licensing ensures:
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Affordable medicines
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Wider access
(6) Startup Ecosystem Growth
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Patent protection encourages:
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Innovation-driven startups
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Deep-tech industries
7. Procedure for Patent Registration in India
Step-by-Step Process
Step 1: Patent Search
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Conduct prior art search
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Check novelty and inventiveness
Step 2: Filing of Application
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File under Section 7
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Types:
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Provisional application
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Complete application
Step 3: Filing Specification
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Under Section 10
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Must include:
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Description
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Claims
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Drawings (if required)
Step 4: Publication
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Under Section 11A
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Published after 18 months (or early publication
request)
Step 5: Request for Examination
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Under Section 11B
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