New Delhi, Apr 26 : As a strategic response to globalisation, the government has decided to set up four world class Intellectual Property office in the four metros. Laying the foundation stone for an IP office here, commerce and industry minister Arun Jaitley today said this is part of the Rs 130 crore plan to modernise the IP administrative infrastructure in the country. The other three offices would be set up in Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai where the land has been finalised and construction work awarded. These are scheduled to be operationalised by 2004,Jaitley said, adding the objective of establishing the modern offices is to provide customer-valued and globally respected services for inventors, trading and business community and to encourage creative and innovative activities while ensuring access to the latest scientific and technical information to domestic users.

The minister said some of the major achievements of the modernisation initiatives include modernisation of the existing infrastructure, completion of initial computerisation and undertaking comprehensive computerisation operations. Digitisation of records, recruitment of additional examiners, zero pendency of trademark and patent applications and enactment of modernised IP laws, covering patents, designs, trademarks and geographical indications were counted by the minister as few other achievements. Bureau Report