Prior Art Search
Comprehensive search of global patent databases and scientific literature to assess novelty and freedom-to-operate before filing. Knowing the prior art landscape guides claim strategy and avoids invalidity risks.
Pre-Filing
Is Your Invention Patentable?
The Four Patentability Criteria
Indian patent law under the Patents Act, 1970 requires all four criteria to be satisfied for a valid patent grant.
Novel
The invention must not be publicly disclosed anywhere in the world before the filing date — not in publications, products, or prior use.
Non-Obvious
The invention must involve an inventive step — it must not be obvious to a person skilled in the relevant technical field.
Industrially Applicable
The invention must be capable of being made or used in industry — it must have a practical, concrete utility or application.
Proper Subject Matter
The invention must not fall under the excluded categories under Section 3 of the Patents Act — e.g., discoveries, mathematical methods, business methods per se.
Unsure if your invention qualifies? Request a free patentability assessment.
Patent Services
From Idea to
From Idea to
Granted Patent
Provisional Application
Filing a provisional specification establishes your priority date immediately — giving you 12 months to develop the invention further and prepare the complete specification. Critical for inventors at early stages who need to establish their filing date quickly.
Priority DateComplete Patent Specification
Drafting the complete specification with technically precise claims — the heart of the patent. Our claims are drafted to be as broad as the prior art allows and as defensible as the invention merits. The quality of claims determines the commercial value of the patent.
Complete SpecificationPatent Prosecution
Responding to First Examination Reports (FER), managing pre-grant and post-grant oppositions, and appearing before the Patent Controller. We argue the patentability of your invention with technical depth and legal authority.
ProsecutionPCT International Filing
Filing PCT applications that enter the national phase in over 150 countries. A single PCT application establishes priority in every signatory country simultaneously — giving you time to assess commercial viability before committing to expensive national phase entries.
PCTPatent Enforcement & Litigation
Infringement analysis, cease and desist notices, Anton Piller orders, and patent infringement suits before the High Court. We also defend clients against infringement claims and challenge invalid patents through post-grant opposition and revocation proceedings.
LitigationStep by Step
Patent Filing Process
01
Invention Disclosure
You share the technical details. We sign an NDA and assess patentability — honestly and thoroughly.
02
Prior Art Search
Global patent and literature search to map the landscape and guide claim strategy.
03
Specification Drafting
Complete patent specification with description, drawings, abstract, and precise claims drafted by our patent agents.
04
Filing & Prosecution
Application filed at Indian Patent Office. FER responses and hearings managed through to grant.
05
Grant & Maintenance
Patent granted. Annual renewal fees managed. Commercial licensing advisory provided.
Provisional vs. Complete
Filing Strategy — What's Right for You?
The choice between provisional and complete filing is strategic — not just procedural. A provisional application gives you 12 months to refine your invention while protecting your priority date at lower cost. A complete application begins the formal examination process immediately.
For most inventors, especially those still developing the invention or seeking investment, the provisional route is optimal. We guide you through this decision based on your timeline, budget, and commercial objectives.
Discuss Filing Strategy →Common Questions
Patent FAQs
Section 3(k) of the Patents Act excludes "mathematical or business methods or a computer programme per se." However, software-related inventions that have a technical effect or solve a technical problem — i.e., they are not software "per se" — can be patented in India. The key is claim drafting: claims framed around a technical process, system, or apparatus with a concrete technical contribution have a significantly better chance of grant than claims framed around the software or method alone. Our patent agents have deep experience drafting claims that pass the Section 3(k) threshold. We also conduct provisional patent opinions for software innovations.
A patent in India is granted for a term of 20 years from the date of filing the complete specification, subject to payment of annual renewal fees. The patent must be renewed each year to remain in force — failure to pay renewal fees results in lapsing of the patent. We maintain a renewal calendar for all patents in our clients' portfolios and ensure no patent lapses due to missed fees. After 20 years, the patent enters the public domain and cannot be extended (except for pharmaceuticals in limited circumstances globally — not yet available in India).
After the patent application is published and examined, the Indian Patent Office issues a First Examination Report (FER) — also known as an office action — setting out the examiner's objections to patentability. Common objections include: prior art citations (novelty or obviousness), formal deficiencies, and Section 3 exclusions. The applicant has a limited time (typically 6–12 months) to respond with arguments and amended claims. Our patent agents draft technically and legally compelling responses that address each objection in detail. Where necessary, we request personal hearings before the Controller to argue the case. Handling FERs effectively is often the difference between a granted patent and an abandoned one.
The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) provides a streamlined mechanism for seeking patent protection in over 150 countries through a single international application. Instead of filing separately in each country, a PCT application gives you up to 30–31 months from your priority date to decide which national markets to enter. This is enormously valuable because it delays the expensive national phase costs (translation fees, local associate fees) while keeping your options open globally. The PCT route also includes an International Search Report and Written Opinion — a preliminary assessment of patentability — which informs your prosecution strategy. We file and manage PCT applications directly from India.