Mumbai: The total number of patent filings by residents in India per million population was mere 3.40 in 2004-05 as compared to the world average of 250.72, worked out on the basis of the world population (6,377.6 million), as per data given by the `State of World Population 2004: United Nations Population Fund Report''''.

The total number of patents filed worldwide during 2004 was 15,99,000, as per data given by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) `Patent Report: Statistics on Worldwide Patent Activity, 2006'''', Ashwani Kumar, minister of state for industry, informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

The number of patents in force in India in 2004 was 6,406, while it was 1,82,385 in China. The world average of patents in force in 2004 was 846.71.

The number of patents in force worldwide during 2004 was 5.4 million while there were a total of about 5.6 million patents in force worldwide in 2005 as per data given in the World Intellectual Property Organisation report.

However, this number includes patents obtained in different countries for the same invention also. Therefore, it will not be feasible to draw a conclusion on the proportion of patents in force in India vis-à-vis those in force worldwide, he said. The number of patents in India in force was 6,857 in 2005.

In order to strengthen the processes of patenting and help creation of intellectual property rights in India, the government has implemented a scheme of modernisation of intellectual property offices at a cost of Rs153 crore during the 9th and 10th plans. These included infrastructure development, computerisation, human resource development and training and awareness, the minister said.

Four new integrated intellectual property offices were set up in Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai. Work for the setting up of the national institute of intellectual property management at Nagpur has also commenced, he said.

The government has made operational the scheme for e-filing of patent applications with effect from 20 July 2007.

The government is also organising seminars, conferences and workshops at national and international levels for creating awareness and promotion of intellectual property rights.

Memoranda of understanding (MoU) have also been signed with countries like France, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Patent Office, Japan, Switzerland and Germany for cooperation in the field of intellectual property rights, he said.