USPTO to Train Indian Patent Examiners, Also to Develop Manual on Patent Practice

Recently India and the US signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on intellectual property issues to work together in promoting innovation, creativity and technological advancement. The MOU signed by Jon Dudas, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property, and Ajay Dua, secretary of the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry, is a first between the United States and India on intellectual property issues. According to Under Secretary Dudas, “it will open the door for an unprecedented level of cooperation and sharing of best practices.” Under the terms of MOU, the USPTO and the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry Office of the Controller General will cooperate on capacity building, human resource development and public awareness of intellectual property. The USPTO will also help train Indian patent and trademark examiners, develop education material for the examiners and produce a manual on patent practice for use by Indian examiners and the public.