Material Sciences Patents Team

 

 

Innovations in the chemical and material science field are complex and continuously evolving. Our experienced material science team having technical expertise has been skilled to cater to the diverse aspects of the material science field, such as: 

 

• Semiconductor fabrication

• Devices used for material characterization and fabrication

• Fibers

• Glasses

• Ceramics

• Adhesives, coatings, paints etc.

• Bio-compatibles

• Polymers, plastics

• Metallurgy

• Petrochemicals

• Nano scaled functionalized surfaced materials

 

 

The Emergent field of Material Sciences

 

Material science is an upcoming field, having vast applications in almost every field of science. Inventions based on materials science frequently represent the intersection of multiple traditional technology disciplines, including physics, chemistry, biology, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering.

 

Material science is an interdisciplinary field focused on studying the inherent properties of matter and designing new materials out of known materials by way of various technologies.

 

Relevant Provisions

 

The patentability requirements such as novelty, non-obviousness and industrial application, are same as for any other invention, but still patenting inventions relating to material science is not the same as patenting other technologies.

 

Due to the diverse nature and material sciences, and lack of technical knowledge in the field, such patents are often erroneously considered to be not novel and obvious and are therefore, not granted protection.

 

Section 3 (d) of the Act poses questions on the novelty of material science patents, and provides that the mere discovery of a new substance or mere discovery of a new property or new use of a known substance, which does not result in the enhancement of the known efficiency, is not patentable. 

 

Current Scenario in India

 

Despite the challenges faced in the legal realm, patens for inventions relating to material sciences and more specifically the metallurgy and nanotechnology patents have considerably increased in the past few years. With the United States as the highest patents granted in nanotechnology, followed by Japan and Germany, India is also making its way through these developed nations and has been seen to follow rather a liberal approach while construing the questions of novelty and obviousness of such patents.