New Danish-Indian initiative to guide SMEs through the IP system in India

Published 06-04-2021

Having a suitable IP protection in place before entering new markets is absolutely critical. Without proper IP protection, companies become vulnerable to counterfeits and risk losing years of hard work and investments. The launch of a new IP manual can help guide SMEs to understand the Indian IP system and prepare them for entering the large market.

The manual describes the most important information regarding patents, trademarks, design protection, copyright, geographical indications, trade secrets and provides an overview of initiatives and schemes applicable to start-ups, SMEs and foreign entities.

While larger companies often have professional IP set-ups internally, SMEs generally have fewer resources available to plan their intellectual property rights (IPR) management internationally. SME’s entering new markets might fail to use IP systems properly. Others might be reluctant to enter new markets where rules and procedures seem complex and where they risk having their IP rights infringed.

When SMEs avoid entering large-scale markets, such as the Indian market, they miss out on growth opportunities. As a response to the untapped potential among SMEs, the governments of India and Denmark have jointly developed a manual of the Indian IP system. This manual makes it easier for companies to obtain knowledge on how to protect their IPR before they enter the market.

Consisting of a brief and fully up to date overview of rules and procedures, the manual describes the most important information regarding patents, trademarks, design protection, copyright, geographical indications, trade secrets and an overview of initiatives and schemes applicable to start-ups, SMEs and foreign entities.

The manual has been developed within the framework of the Danish-Indian government cooperation on IPR which is financed by the Danish Foreign Ministry. The manual was published on March 2021 by the Embassy of Denmark in New Delhi, the Danish Patent and Trademark Office, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade and the Cell for IP Awareness and Management.

You can download the manual here

International Partnerships 
The Danish Patent and Trademark Office has a long standing track record in implementing cooperation- and capacity building projects in collaboration with IP authorities around the world. Read more about our international partnerships here