Delhi, the national capital region, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

 A n Intellectual Property Facility Centre will be launched on Thursday in the national capital to help micro, small and medium enterprises protect their innovations, inventions and designs through patents and copyrights. National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council member secretary Mr.Ajay Shankar will launch the centre on the occasion of World Intellectual Property Day. The Federation of Indian Micro and Small and Medium Enterprises is setting it up. "The Intellectual Property Facility Centre will go a long way in helping small and medium enterprises to get their intellectual property, such as innovations and inventions, original designs, brand names etc. protected through patents, trademarks, copyrights and other such instruments conveniently and at a low cost," Federation of Indian Micro and Small and Medium Enterprisespresident Mr.V.K. Agarwal said.

" small and medium enterprises in India, as anywhere else in the world, such as Japan or Germany, are the hot spots for development of new niche technologies and smart innovations. But they often lack awareness or the resources to get such intellectual property protected and commercialised. The Intellectual Property Facility Centre is aimed at addressing this problem," he added. The centre is coming up with the support of the MSME ministry under the intellectual property rights component of the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Programme. This is the third facilitation centre being put into operation by the Federation of Indian Micro and Small and Medium Enterprisesafter Bangalore and Hyderabad. This centre will serve small and medium enterprises in Delhi, the national capital region, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. These facilitation centres employ qualified and trained personnel, including legal professionals and patent attorneys, to guide and help small and medium enterprises secure and protect their intellectual property.

Source: CIOL World