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Patent Law and Compulsory Licensing: Indian Perspective


Affiliations
1 Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College, Kalapet - 605 014, Puducherry, India
2 Jindal Global Law School, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat - 131 001, Haryana, India
 

This Paper seeks to critically analyze and evaluate the concept of compulsory licensing under the Indian Patents and Designs Act, 1911, and the Patents Act, 1970. The Paper further: (i) traces its evolution from the French Patent Law of 1791 to the amendment of the TRIPS Agreement in 2017 that introduced Article 31bis; (ii) analyzes the detailed procedure and consideration for the grant of compulsory license in India; and (iii) in the light of Natcov Bayer decision, discusses the rejection of the compulsory license applications on the grounds of procedural non-compliance. In the end, paper develops an argument that the provisions relating to compulsory license under the Indian patent regulatory framework have remained a dead letter during COVID-19 pandemic at the cost of public health and welfare.

Keywords

Patent, Compulsory License, TRIPS, Article 31bis, Conventions, Doha Declaration, Labour Theory, Utilitarian Theory, The Patents and Designs Act, 1911,Bakshi Tek Chand Committee, N Rajagopa Ayyangar Committee, The Patents Act, 1970, Controller of Patents,
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  • For more detailed discussion on theoretical underpinnings of intellectual property law, see:Raza A, Theoretical underpinnings of Patent Law: Decisions of the Supreme Court of India, Journal of Intellectual Property Rights, 27 (4) (2022) 285–289; Raza A, Theoretical underpinnings of Copyright and Design Laws: Decisions of the Supreme Court of India, Journal of Intellectual Property Rights, 26 (4) (2021) 220–234; Raza A and Alam G, Theoretical Underpinnings of Copyright and Design Laws Post-KrishikaLulla and Godrej Sara Lee: Decisions of the Supreme Court of India,Journal of Intellectual Property Rights,27 (6) (2022) 434–441.

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  • Section 84(2) of the Patents Act, 1970, states that a licensee would not be stopped from raising the grounds under Section 84(1) and seeks a compulsory license. The acceptance of the terms of the license by the licensee would not prevent him from filling an application for compulsory license.

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  • Patent Law and Compulsory Licensing: Indian Perspective

Abstract Views: 200  |  PDF Views: 90

Authors

Abhinav Gupta
Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College, Kalapet - 605 014, Puducherry, India
Aqa Raza
Jindal Global Law School, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat - 131 001, Haryana, India

Abstract


This Paper seeks to critically analyze and evaluate the concept of compulsory licensing under the Indian Patents and Designs Act, 1911, and the Patents Act, 1970. The Paper further: (i) traces its evolution from the French Patent Law of 1791 to the amendment of the TRIPS Agreement in 2017 that introduced Article 31bis; (ii) analyzes the detailed procedure and consideration for the grant of compulsory license in India; and (iii) in the light of Natcov Bayer decision, discusses the rejection of the compulsory license applications on the grounds of procedural non-compliance. In the end, paper develops an argument that the provisions relating to compulsory license under the Indian patent regulatory framework have remained a dead letter during COVID-19 pandemic at the cost of public health and welfare.

Keywords


Patent, Compulsory License, TRIPS, Article 31bis, Conventions, Doha Declaration, Labour Theory, Utilitarian Theory, The Patents and Designs Act, 1911,Bakshi Tek Chand Committee, N Rajagopa Ayyangar Committee, The Patents Act, 1970, Controller of Patents,

References