Patents

The race to “first to file” has created two stages of disclosure. A provisional application secures priority when an invention is achievable within twelve months. A complete application must follow within that window — otherwise the provisional expires. Patent term is counted from the complete application filing date.

Applications may cover an invented product or a process yielding a tangible result. The first filing — usually at the residence patent office — is the basic or priority application; its date becomes the priority date.

Under Indian patent law, Indian residents must file the basic application before the Indian Patent Office. Applicants then have twelve months from the priority date to file in other jurisdictions without losing priority.

Applications in different countries for the same invention form a patent family — national rights for one invention, not a single international patent. Two primary routes exist: the Paris Convention and the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).

After grant, patents require annual renewal fees — payable yearly or for multiple years at once. Patentees in India must also file an annual statement on commercial working of the patented invention.