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冠中智訊第29期-|國際動態| 印度專利修法─2020年10月19日起實施(Revised patent rules in India effective from 19 October, 2020)【張映婷 國外部專員】

2020/11/25

前次修法重點

1. 提交優先權證明文件及其英文譯本不可延期:
  針對PCT進入印度國家階段之申請案,若優先權文件在PCT國際階段未遞交或未提供DAS碼給國際局,申請人須在自首次優先權日起31個月補提。倘優先權證明文件非為英文,提交優先權英譯證明文件的期限為自審查委員發出要求日起 3 個月內,且該期限不得延期,若未依時提交,將會被視為未主張優先權。

2. 專利使用聲明書提交:
  期限為授予專利權後的日曆年開始,且於該日曆年結束前的 3 個月內提交。

3. Form 27更新:
  專利權人/被授權人無需於年度商業使用報告裡提供在印度製造或進口到印度的專利產品數量,只要求陳報專利權人/被授權人在印度製造或進口該專利產品的大概價值利益,使專利權人/被授權人能夠準確提供有關其核准產品或方法之使用的相關訊息。再者,新的Form 27新亦新增用於提交專利方法、產品、累計價值與相關訊息之欄位,要求專利權人/被授權人陳報使用方法專利在印度製造或進口到印度產品的估計利益。

此次沿革

  The India Ministry of Commerce and Industry has issued a notification that the Patents (Amendment) Rules, 2020, was released and enforced on 19 October, 2020.

  印度商工部已發布通知,《2020年專利(修訂)規則》已於2020年10月19日發布並實施。

  In summary, the key amendments have an impact on the requirements for filing priority documents and its verified English translation, as well as the timeline and content required when submitting the Statement of Working for a granted patent in India:

  此次主要修法為主優文件及其英譯證明文件的相關要求,以及提交已註冊專利使用聲明的內容及時間點。

1. The requirements for submitting priority document(s) has been amended to broaden the exceptionto include situations under Rule 17.1(b-bis) of the PCT Regulations, wherein the applicant asks the Receiving Office to obtain the priority document from a digital library. Furthermore, submission of an English translation is only required when the validity of the priority claim is relevant to determination of patentability or when errors in the international filing date have been corrected (Rules 51bis.1(e)(i) and (ii) of the PCT Regulation).

    此次修法擴大了要求提交優先權文件的例外,包含了《PCT實施細則》細則17.1(b之二)規定的情況,其中申請人要求受理局從電子圖書館獲取優先權文件。此外,只有在優先權對發明的可專利性有影響時,或在提交PCT國際專利申請案時的錯誤已被更正的情況下,才需要提交英文翻譯。

2. A Statement of Working for a granted patent will have to be filed for each financial year (beginning 01 April) instead of the calendar year as previously stipulated, starting from the financial year commencing immediately after the grant of the patent. Further, the statements can be submitted within six months from the expiry of each financial year.

    專利使用聲明必須從授予專利後的每個財政年度開始(從4月1日起)提交,而不是先前規定的日曆年提交。此外,可以在每個財政年度屆滿後的六個月內提交聲明。

Practice Recommendations

Submission of priority document

  If a priority document is made available to the International Bureau from a digital library under Rule 17.1(b-bis) of the PCT Regulations, the Applicant need not submit the priority document. In addition, a verified English translation of the priority document no longer needs to be filed unless the application falls under Rules 51bis.1(e)(i) and (ii) of the PCT Regulations.

  如果優先權文件是根據PCT細則第17.1(b-之二)條由電子圖書館向國際專利局提供,則申請人無需提交優先權文件。此外,除非申請案符合《 PCT實施細則》規則51之二.1(e)(i)和(ii)的規定,否則不再需要提交經過驗證的優先權文件英文譯本。

 

Statement of Working

  Accordingly, for the upcoming reporting, the Statement of Working for patents granted before 01 April 2020 can be submitted from 01 April 2021 to 30 September 2021. Relevant information from the period 01 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 will need to be submitted.

  For more details of the amendments to the India Patent Rules, please refer to the write-up below.

  因此,可以在2021年4月1日至2021年9月30日之間提交2020年4月1日之前已授權專利的使用聲明,2020年4月1日至2021年3月31日期間的相關資訊也將需要提交。

  有關修法詳細資訊,請詳底下文章。

I. Priority document

  The previous Rule 21 stipulated that a priority document is not required to be filed if the same has been filed at the Receiving Office under Rules 17.1(a) and 17.1(b) of the PCT Regulation. In addition, it was also stipulated that a verified English translation of the priority document had to be filed in all national phase applications if the priority document was not in English.

  先前的第21條規定,如果優先權文件已經根據PCT規章的細則17.1(a)和17.1(b)提交給了受理局,則無需再提交優先權文件。此外,還規定若優先權文件不是英文,則必須在所有國家階段申請時提交優先權文件的經過驗證的英文翻譯。

  The amendments to Rule 21 broadens the exception to include Rule 17.1(b-bis) of the PCT Regulations, where the applicant asks the Receiving Office to obtain the priority document from a digital library. 

  此次修法擴大了有關規則第21條提交優先權文件的例外條件,包含了《 PCT實施細則》細則17.1(b之二)規定的情況,其中申請人要求受理局從電子圖書館獲取優先權文件。

  In addition,  according to amended Rule 21, the Patent Office can ask for submission of a translation only when a case falls under Rules 51bis.1(e)(i) and (ii) of the PCT Regulations i.e. only when:

  此外,根據經修訂的第21條,只有在案件屬於《 PCT實施細則》第51條之二.1(e)(i)和(ii)的情況下,即在以下情況下,專利局才能要求提交翻譯:

a. the validity of the priority claim is relevant to determination of patentability, or 

  優先權與發明的可專利性的判定有關,或者

b. errors in the international filing date have been corrected (under Rules 20.3(b)(ii) or 20.5(d) on the basis of the incorporation by reference under Rules 4.18 and 20.6 of the PCT regulations).

  提交PCT國際專利申請案時的錯誤已被更正(依據PCT條例細則4.18和20.6的細則  20.3(b)(ii)或20.5(d))。

II. Changes to Statement of Working

  As per the Indian Patent (Amendment) Act, 2005 under Section 85, the Patents should be worked in India on a commercial scale and to the fullest extent within the territory of India and the patented article should be available at reasonably affordable prices to the public in India.

  根據2005年《印度專利(修正案)法》(第85條)的規定,專利應在印度應用於商業上,並在印度境內最大限度地發揮作用,並且與專利有關的產品應以合理的價格於印度販售。

  Every patentee and licensee is required to furnish a periodical statement specifying the extent to which a patent has been commercially worked in India. Previously, such statement was to be furnished every calendar year within three months of the end of each year under Section 146 (2) of the Patent (Amendment) Act. 1970 and Rule 131 of the Patent Rule, 2003. This means that every patentee and every licensee had to file a working statement by 31 March of the year outlining the information regarding the commercial working of patent in the previous calendar year.

  每個專利權人和被授權人都必須定期提供一份專利使用聲明,說明專利在印度商業化的程度。先前根據1970年專利規則和2003年專利規則第131條中的《專利(修正案)法》第146條第(2)款,該聲明應在每年結束的前三個月內提供,也就是每個專利權人和被授權人都必須在當年的3月31日之前提交敘述與上一個日曆年度有關的專利商業運作的資訊。

Previous Rule 131(2) states:

  “The statements referred to in sub-rule (1) shall be furnished in respect of every calendar year within three months of the end of each year.”

The amended Rule 131(2) states:

  “The statements referred to in sub-rule (1) shall be furnished once in respect of every financial year, starting from the financial year commencing immediately after the financial year in which the patent was granted, and shall be furnished within six months from the expiry of each such financial year.”

  The amendment to Rule 121(2) means that the Statement of Working for a granted patent will have to be filed for each financial year (as opposed to calendar year) starting from financial year commencing immediately after the grant of the patent. The financial year is taken to begin on 01 April.

  依據修正後的細則121(2),已註冊專利的使用聲明書必須從授予專利後的每個財政年度開始提交。財政年度定於4月1日開始。

  In addition, the deadline to submit the Statement of Working is now 6 months from the expiry of the financial year, as opposed to the previous deadline of 31 March every year (3 months from the end of calendar year). As the financial year is taken to be 01 April to 31 March of the subsequent year, the Statement of Working must be submitted latest by 30 September for the relevant financial year.

  此外,提交專利使用聲明的截止日期是財政年度屆滿後的6個月內,而先前的截止日期是每年3月31日(日曆年屆滿前的3個月)。由於該財政年度定為下一年的4月1日至3月31日,因此最晚必須在相關財政年度的9月30日之前提交專利使用聲明。

  Amendments have also been made to Form 27 (Statement Regarding the Working of Patented Invention(s) on a Commercial Scale in India). The amendments are detailed below.

  表格27也修改了有關專利在印度商業使用程度的聲明。詳細修正如下:

a. The amended form allows patent holders to submit a consolidated statement for related patents, wherein the approximate revenue / value accrued from a particular patented invention cannot be derived separately from the approximate revenue/value accrued from related patents.

  修改後的表格允許專利權人提交相關專利的合併報表,其中特定專利的預估利益不可從其他相關專利中細分出來。

b. Removal of the requirement of identifying licenses/sub-licenses in a given year.

  取消了要求揭露授權/再授權的相關資訊。

c. Removal of the requirement of having to state whether the public requirement has been met at a reasonable price.

  無需說明是否以合理的價格來滿足公共需求。

d. Details for patents that are worked or not worked are to be provided in 500 words.

  已使用或未使用的專利相關資訊敘述應於500字以內。

結語

  此次修法值得注意的是,若持續未能提交專利使用聲明(Form 27)或提交了不真實的資訊,雖然專利權不會立即失效,但喪失全部或一部分專利權的風險將慢慢增加。例如,印度專利法允許在某些條件下將專利權強制許可授予第三方,其中的條件即是專利在印度沒有實施或充分發揮作用,除了為第三方提供了強制許可的機會,實施或未實施專利權在未來面臨侵權訴訟時也是判決參考的重要因素之一,且喪失專利權之外還可能被處以罰款甚至判處監禁,或兩者併罰。即使提交專利使用聲明非強制,但要維護權利所需採取的行動也不可忽視。

 

文獻參考:
   1. Spruson & Ferguson Intellectual property
   2. 經濟部智慧財產局
   3. 印度專利局

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