| Press Information Bureau Government of India |
| 13 June 2007 | |||||
| Ministry of Commerce & Industry | |||||
GRANT OF PATENTS ON YOGA BY UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE – THE FACTUAL POSITION |
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| 14:41 IST | |||||
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There are reports in the print and electronic media raising concerns on grant of patent on Yoga postures by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
The matter was checked up with First Secretary for Intellectual Property, US Embassy, New Delhi, who has reported that USPTO was not able to identify a single patent directed on yoga poses. The Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (CMPDTM) has also informed that preliminary search of USPTO database indicates that there is no patent on yoga postures per se. Patents granted by USPTO mostly include devices and accessories in Yoga. It is estimated that 131 patents have been granted in USPTO on yoga subject and there are 3700 trademarks which have been listed in the database of registered and pending trade marks by USPTO. Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, who is the nodal Department for Yoga, have already written to Indian Ambassador in Washington to take all necessary steps to address the issue of misappropriation of Indian Yoga system through USPTO. ********** SB/NR/MRS |
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