MYSORE: With 30 Geographical Indication (GI) registrations to its credit, Karnataka leads the race to preserve cultural traditions and highlight the brand identity of its geography-specific goods and products.

Speaking to presspersons on the sidelines of a seminar on `Are patents a road to prosperity?,' in Mysore on Saturday, S. Chandrashekaran, Controller-General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks, Government of India, said Karnataka accounted for the largest number of GI registrations in the country.

The 30 registrations awarded to goods and products from the State include Mysore Silk, Mysore Betel Leaves, Nanjangud Banana, Mysore Sandalwood Oil, Mysore Sandal Soap, Bidriware, Channapatna Toys and Dolls, Mysore Rosewood Inlay and Mysore Agarbathi. Mr. Chandrashekaran, who is also the Registrar of Geographical Indications, Intellectual Property Rights Office, Chennai, said his office had received an application for Basmati rice also.

"The application is under process and a decision on its registration is likely to be taken shortly", he said.

About 10 years ago, foreign companies accounted for the maximum number of applications for patents, designs and trade marks. "Now, the scenario is different. We have more and more Indian companies coming forward," he said.

Besides, India takes the shortest time to decide on applications for patents, designs, trademarks and GIs. "We clear applications in one to one and a half years. All applications are cleared within a maximum of 18 months," he said.

In his address at the seminar, Mr. Chandrashekaran said the Government of India was committed to creating a world-class IT-enabled and user-friendly Intellectual Property Office (IPO).

Digitized records of patents, designs and trade marks would be made available on the website in searchable form, he said.

Central Food Technological Research Institute Director V. Prakash, R.N. Murthy, a partner in the N.R. Group, which organised the seminar, and R. Guru, former chairman of the disbanded Mysore Agenda Task Force and a partner in the N.R. Group, welcomed the gathering.

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