Intellectual property in numbers

The facts, figures, feats and fees of Indian IP firms. By Rebecca Abraham

In an annual report published on 11 March, the office of India’s Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks stated that in 2012-13 it registered 44,361 trademarks, 7,252 designs, 4,126 patents, and 21 geographical indications (GIs). But how do these numbers break down between India’s intellectual property law firms?

When it comes to filings, the work is spread widely between a diverse range of firms of all shapes and sizes up and down the country. Yet in areas such as IP litigation, the country’s most reputed IP firms enjoy a lion’s share of the action.

As one such firm, the powerhouse of Anand and Anand has long been a hard act to follow. With 74 lawyers all focused on intellectual property, the firm reports that in the past 12 months it filed 195 cases in IP rights enforcement matters in Delhi High Court alone.

These included an action initiated on behalf of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe against retailers that were circumventing technology protection measures the company had included in its game console.

Action of this kind is possible following a 2012 amendment of the Copyright Act, 1957, which makes such acts a criminal offence. This dispute was settled amicably in May 2013. Fees charged by the firm for taking such action would be “in the range of” US$12,000.