Sunday, January 2 2005 11:33 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: In line with its WTO obligations, India has adopted the product patent regime for food, drugs and chemicals and embedded software with adequate safeguards to protect the interests of common man.

The Government introduced the product patent regime by amending the Patent Act by way of ordinance on December 26 and notifying rules on December 28.

India, Brazil and China are among the few countries, which have advanced their deadline to meet their Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights commitments.

TRIPS agreement on public health provides for invoking compulsory licensing to countries to address any health emergencies.

Least developed countries like Bangladesh have time till 2010 to effect product patents.

With the Act coming into effect, the process of grant of product patents will get rolling as the Government begins opening up of "mailbox" applications.

There are about 12,000 applications in the mailbox and it will take about three to four months to open these applications.