A workshop on “IPR & Commercialization Awareness” was organised jointly by the Technology Transfer Cell and the Office of Dean Research. The session was led by Dr Puneeta Arora, Founder of AvidInvent, a registered Indian Patent Agent, and a seasoned expert in patent law and innovation strategy. The event aimed to raise awareness on the protection of Intellectual Property Rights among researchers.
The workshop commenced with an introduction to the fundamentals of IPR and the importance of protecting innovations with the help of mechanisms like design registration, copyrights, patents, and more. Dr Arora laid emphasis on protecting your innovations from the ideation stage and discussed the filing of provisional patents. She also provided a step-by-step breakdown of the Indian patent application workflow, along with an explanation of PCT and Conventional Applications for researchers looking to file patents abroad.
The session addressed crucial aspects of patentability, such as the importance of novelty, the concept of non-patentable subject matter, prior art, and obviousness. Dr Arora contextualised these concepts with the help of real-world examples and explained how strategic thinking can influence patenting decisions. Additionally, a dedicated segment on IPR in the life sciences was held, which focused on elements specific to the fields of agriculture, wellness, medical sciences, etc., with the help of case studies. This offered valuable insight to participants with backgrounds in biosciences and biotechnology.
The workshop concluded with an interactive Q&A session, where Dr Arora had a discussion with participants on their personal research projects and potential IP applications. Dr Arora was felicitated by Prof. Ranjit Thapa, Dean Research, in recognition of her invaluable contributions. The workshop encouraged participants and raised awareness on IPR, patent literacy, and commercialisation strategies.
