Essays, Frameworks & Analysis
Deep-dives into patent strategy, examiner traps, India's innovation landscape, and AI tools for IP work.
India's Innovation Paradox: Why the World's Third-Largest Startup Ecosystem Files Fewer Patents Than Denmark
The data, the causes, and what practitioners can do about it
India mints startups at a remarkable rate - over 100,000 DPIIT-recognized startups as of 2024. Yet Indian companies file patents at a fraction of the rate of Chinese, South Korean, or German peers. This is not a funding problem, a talent problem, or an ambition problem. It is an IP culture problem - and it has a structural cause.
Ten Examiner Traps That Kill Good Patent Applications
The most common drafting mistakes that give examiners ammunition
After years of drafting and prosecuting patents across India and the US, certain patterns emerge in applications that repeatedly attract difficult rejections. These are not obscure errors - they are common, teachable, and avoidable. Here are the ten drafting traps that consistently give examiners the leverage to reject otherwise valid inventions.
An Honest Assessment of AI for Patent Drafting in 2026
What works, what doesn't, and what will get you into trouble
Every IP practitioner is now navigating a landscape where AI tools promise to transform patent drafting. The promise is partly real. But the risks - hallucination, scope errors, prosecution history problems, and professional responsibility traps - are just as real. This is a practitioner's honest assessment of where AI actually helps in 2026.
Section 3(k) and Software Patents in India: The State of Play in 2026
What Indian patent practice currently accepts and rejects for software inventions
Section 3(k) of the Indian Patents Act excludes 'a mathematical method or a business method or a computer programme per se or algorithms.' Yet the Indian Patent Office grants software-related patents regularly. Understanding the line between 'per se' software and patentable technical innovation is the practitioner's essential skill.
Building a Patent Portfolio as an Indian Startup: A Practical Framework
From first filing to strategic portfolio - a founder's guide
Most Indian startups approach patents reactively - filing defensively when the VC asks, or after a competitor scare. A strategic approach looks different: a small, carefully chosen filing program that protects the core innovation, signals seriousness to investors, and builds a moat with each new product iteration.