Patents
For new inventions — products, processes and technical solutions that are new and inventive.
Patent services →
Private preview · Plain-language IP help
Ideas, inventions and brands — explained clearly.
A simple portal-style preview covering the five main areas of intellectual property. Find what each right protects, what help is available, and how a typical matter moves from first review to resolution — all in original, plain-language wording.
Please note: this is an independent private preview. It does not file anything with, or act on behalf of, any government office. Where an official filing is required, we will always point you to the correct official channel.
Browse by practice area
Intellectual property areas
Each area protects something different. Start with the one that matches what you have created, invented or named — many businesses need more than one. Select an area to read plain-language guides and available help.
Designs
For the look of a product — its shape, pattern, lines or ornamentation, rather than how it works.
Design information →Trade Marks
For brand identifiers — names, logos and taglines that distinguish your goods and services.
Trade mark services →Geographical Indications
For products linked to a place — where qualities or reputation come from that origin.
GI information →Copyright
For original expression — writing, music, art, photographs, film, video and software code.
Copyright services →Guides & Next Steps
Not sure which right fits? Compare the areas, see how a case works, and read common questions.
How a case works →News & updates
News and updates
Recent additions and practical notices for this private preview. For official announcements, always check the official government channel directly — this page does not publish official notices.
Latest preview updates
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30Oct
Portal layout added — five IP areas in the top navigation
The preview is now organised around Patents, Designs, Trade Marks, Geographical Indications and Copyright, with this news section and a key offerings overview.
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30Oct
Patent and trade mark sections expanded
New checklists cover prior-art searching, filing preparation, clearance searches, objections and renewals — in plain language.
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30Oct
Copyright explorer added below
Pick a type of work — written, music, visual, video or software — to see what to document and keep as evidence.
What kind of work do you have?
Pick a category to see what is usually protected and what evidence is worth keeping.
Explore by type of work
Select a category — the summary updates in place.
Copyright
What copyright protects
Copyright protects the original expression of an idea — the words, sounds, images, or code you created — rather than the idea itself. Protection generally begins when original work is created and fixed in a tangible form.
Written & literary work
Books, articles, essays, scripts, lyrics as text, website copy, and other original writing — including the structure and expression, not just the topic.
Music & sound recordings
Original compositions and lyrics, and separately, the recorded performance itself. A song can involve more than one layer of rights at the same time.
Art, design & photographs
Paintings, illustrations, logos as artwork, graphic design, and photographs — the creative choices in composition, style, and execution.
Film & video
Films, videos, animations, and broadcasts — including the footage, editing, and other original creative elements combined in the finished work.
Software & digital work
Original source code and object code, along with other digital creations such as databases and multimedia work, where the selection or arrangement is original.
Dramatic & performed work
Plays, choreography, and other works created for performance, including their scripts, notation, and original staging elements.
What copyright does not cover: ideas, facts, procedures, short names and slogans on their own, and work you did not create or do not have the rights to. Names and logos are usually a trade mark question instead.
Copyright services in this preview
Practical help for creators, publishers, and businesses — from paperwork to dealing with copies online. Descriptions are in our own words and describe private assistance only.
1
Registration preparation
Help preparing a copyright registration application so it is complete and consistent before it is filed through the official channel.
- Checking the work, authors, and ownership details
- Organising copies and supporting documents
- Explaining each step before anything is submitted
2
Ownership & documentation review
A review of who owns what — especially where work was made by employees, freelancers, or collaborators — and what documents prove it.
- Assignments, licences, and work-for-hire paperwork
- Evidence trails: drafts, files, and publication dates
- Gaps flagged before they become disputes
3
Infringement & takedown support
Help when your work appears somewhere without permission — identifying copies, preparing notices, and tracking what happens next.
- Locating unauthorised copies online
- Preparing platform takedown requests with evidence
- Follow-up if a copy reappears or a notice is refused
4
Licensing guidance
Plain-language help with letting others use your work on terms you choose — or checking the terms before you use someone else’s.
- What a licence should cover: use, territory, duration, payment
- Reviewing terms you have been asked to sign
- Keeping a clear record of permissions given and received
Patents
Patent services
A patent is about inventions — a new product, process, or technical solution to a problem. Unlike copyright, patent rights do not arise automatically: they come from an application that is examined and granted, and only if the invention is new, involves an inventive step, and can be used in industry.
1
Patentability & prior-art search
A first check on whether your invention looks new, before you invest in a full application.
- Searching existing patents and publications for similar inventions
- Explaining what the search found, in plain language
- Honest view on whether filing looks worthwhile
2
Application drafting preparation
Help turning your invention into a clear, complete application — description, drawings, and claims that define exactly what you want protected.
- Structuring the description around how the invention works
- Preparing drawings and diagrams that support the text
- Drafting claims carefully, since they set the scope of protection
3
Filing preparation & examination support
Support preparing the application for filing through the official channel, and help responding if the examiner raises questions or objections.
- Checking forms, inventor and applicant details, and deadlines
- Preparing replies to examination reports with supporting arguments
- Tracking dates so renewals and responses are not missed
4
Patent portfolio & commercial guidance
Help managing granted patents as business assets — keeping them in force, and licensing or assigning them on clear terms.
- Renewal reminders and portfolio records
- Licensing and assignment paperwork review
- What to do if someone uses your patented invention without permission
Important: not everything can be patented. Discoveries, scientific theories, mathematical methods, and certain other subject matter are excluded, and publishing or publicly disclosing your invention before filing can destroy its novelty. Talk through timing before you launch, pitch, or publish.
Designs
Designs — protecting how a product looks
A design right is about appearance: the shape, configuration, pattern or ornament applied to a product. It does not protect how the product works — that is the patent side — and it is separate from copyright in artwork.
What can be covered
The visual features of a product as sold — for example its outline, surface pattern, or decorative elements — when those features are new and original.
Preparation help
Help preparing clear representations of the design from the right views, checking novelty, and organising the application for filing through the official channel.
Using a design safely
Guidance on keeping a new design confidential before filing, recording creation dates, and acting if a lookalike product appears on the market.
Trade Marks
Trade mark services
A trade mark is a sign that identifies your goods or services and distinguishes them from everyone else’s — a business name, logo, tagline, or a combination of these. It protects the brand customers recognise, which copyright alone does not cover.
1
Availability & clearance search
Checking whether your proposed name or logo is already in use or registered by someone else, before you build a brand around it.
- Searching existing marks for identical and similar names and logos
- Checking the right classes for your goods and services
- A clear risk view before you print, launch, or advertise
2
Registration preparation
Help preparing a trade mark application so the mark, owner details, and list of goods and services are accurate from the start.
- Choosing and wording the goods / services specification
- Preparing the mark representation and owner documents
- Explaining each stage before anything is filed through the official channel
3
Objections, oppositions & replies
Support if an application is objected to during examination, or opposed by another business — and if you need to object to a mark that conflicts with yours.
- Preparing replies to examination reports
- Organising evidence of use of your mark
- Explaining deadlines and what each outcome means
4
Renewals, watch & brand protection
Ongoing help keeping your registration alive and your brand yours — renewals, ownership changes, and watching for confusingly similar new marks.
- Renewal tracking so registrations do not lapse
- Assignments and ownership updates after business changes
- Help acting when a similar name or copycat branding appears
Choosing a mark: distinctive names and logos are far easier to protect than descriptive ones. A name that simply describes what you sell may be refused or be hard to enforce, so the search stage is worth doing properly.
Geographical Indications
Geographical indications & other IP
Some protection is tied to place, and some valuable information is protected simply by keeping it confidential. This section gives a general overview only.
Geographical indications — general information
General information about signs used on products that come from a specific place and have qualities, reputation or characteristics linked to that origin — and what evidence of that link usually matters.
Confidential information & trade secrets
Practical steps for keeping valuable business information private: access controls, agreements, and clear internal rules.
Which right fits you?
If you are unsure whether you need a patent, a design, a trade mark, copyright — or more than one — start with a review. The sections above explain the differences in plain language.
How a case works
Every matter is different, but most follow the same shape. Here is what to expect, step by step.
Step 1
Tell us about the work
Share what you created, invented, or branded, when, and what has happened — for example, where a copy appeared, or what you want to register, file, or license.
Step 2
Review & evidence check
We review your documents and evidence, confirm who owns the rights, and explain your realistic options — including if a case is not worth pursuing.
Step 3
Action is prepared
Depending on the matter, that may mean a registration application prepared for official filing, a takedown notice, or a licence or response drafted for your approval.
Step 4
Outcome & follow-up
You receive the result and a clear record of what was done. If copies reappear or a reply needs an answer, the next step is explained before anything further happens.
Timing: straightforward takedown requests are often answered by platforms within days, while registration and disputed ownership matters can take considerably longer. We will give you a realistic estimate for your matter at Step 2 — submitting a request never guarantees a particular outcome.
Common questions
Short answers to the questions creators ask most often. These are general information, not legal advice for a specific situation.
No. This is a private preview, not a government website, and not affiliated with IP India or the Government of India. It provides general information and private assistance only. Official filings are made through the official government channels, and we will always tell you when that is the route your matter needs.
They protect different things. Copyright protects original expression — writing, music, art, film, and code — and usually arises automatically. A patent protects a new invention, and only after an application is examined and granted. A trade mark protects the sign that identifies your brand — a name, logo, or tagline — so customers can tell your goods and services from someone else’s. Many businesses need more than one.
Be careful. An invention generally must be new to be patented, and publicly disclosing it before filing can count against that novelty. If you need to discuss it, use a confidentiality agreement and get advice on filing timing first.
Generally, copyright arises automatically when an original work is created and recorded in a tangible form — registration is not what creates it. Registration can still be valuable: it creates a dated public record of the work and its owner, which can make ownership much easier to prove in a dispute.
It depends on the type of work. For most literary, musical, and artistic works, the term is commonly measured from the author’s lifetime plus a further fixed period of years; films, sound recordings, and photographs are usually measured from publication. Because the exact term varies by category and country, it is worth confirming for your specific work.
Save evidence before anything changes: screenshots, the exact page addresses, dates, and your original files showing when you created the work. Then a takedown request can usually be sent to the platform hosting the copy.
Not automatically in every case. Paying for work and owning the copyright in it are two different things — ownership often depends on the agreement you had with the creator. A written assignment or a clear contract term is the safest position.
Usually not. Copyright protects expression, not names, titles, or ideas on their own. A business name or logo is normally protected through trade mark registration instead, and an idea only gains protection once it is expressed in a created work — or, for inventions, through the patent system.
For reference only — not this site
Official IP Offices in Kolkata — for reference only, not this site
These are official government IP offices, listed here for reference only. They are not offices of this site, and they are not contact details for this site. This is a private preview, not a government website, and not affiliated with IP India or the Government of India. If you need an official office, please use the official website linked below.
Patents & Designs
CP-2, Sector V, Salt Lake City,
Kolkata – 700091
Trade Marks
Nizam Palace, 2nd MSO Building, 7th Floor,
234/4 A.J.C. Bose Road,
Kolkata – 700020
Official website: ipindia.gov.in — for official information and filings, use that site, not this preview.
Have a work, invention, or brand to protect?
Send a short description of what you have — a work, an invention, or a name or logo — and what has happened. You will get a plain-language reply explaining your options before anything is filed, sent, or charged — and if your matter needs an official government channel, we will say so directly.