Tata Electronics, Pegatron, TVS Group and other organizations have announced investments in the state of Tamil Nadu, India at the ongoing ‘Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet’ held in Chennai, recently. While Tata Electronics has signed an MoU with the TN government for a Rs 12082 crore investment to expand the company’s existing electronic component manufacturing facility in Krishnagiri, Pegatron has announced an investment of Rs 1000 crores for expansion of its manufacturing facility in Chengalpatu in Tamil Nadu.
The electronics market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 6.6 per cent until 2030. The emergence of 3G & 4G technologies, technological advancements, and innovation coupled with smartphone proliferation is anticipated to bolster the market growth.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, said that “India's push for tech sector manufacturing will create nearly 5 million jobs in the next three years.” At The Times of India Right To Excellence Tech Summit 2023, Chandrasekhar stated that “Companies like Apple, Micron, and others are looking for reliable partners and economies.”
"We are the fastest growing digital economy, except for China and South Korea, and we are encouraging companies to move their supply chains to India. India is aiming to become a $300 billion electronics industry,” he added.
Some of the top electronics manufacturers in Asia include Flex Ltd., formerly known as Flextronics International Ltd – a Singapore-based multinational manufacturing services company, Venture Corporation – one of the largest electronics manufacturing services providers in Southeast Asia, Fabrinet and others.
In this article we will look at the importance and steps of securing Intellectual Property in the electronics industry. Securing intellectual property in the electronics industry is crucial to foster innovation, protect investments, and maintain a competitive edge. However, before looking at the specific strategies, it is important for us to understand the various types of intellectual property relevant to the electronics industry. The three main categories include patents, trademarks & copyrights. While patents are useful in protecting inventions, trademarks help in safeguarding logos & brand names and copyrights help in covering cover original creative works. In the electronics industry patents are mostly used to protect technological advancements. The steps to secure IP in the electronics industry include:
Prioritize Patent Protection
Conduct a thorough Patent Search:
Always conduct a comprehensive search in order to make sure that your invention is novel and does not infringe on the existing patents, prior to filing a patent application. And, this not only helps in avoiding legal complications but it also strengthens your case during the patent application process.
File a Strong Patent Applications
It is highly imperative to craft a robust & detailed application. Also, it is important to describe the invention, its utility clearly and how it differs from the current technologies. The quality of your application can be improved by working with any of the qualified patent attorneys.
International protection
It is important to file for international patents for protecting your innovations, globally as it is highly crucial in the electronics industry since the products usually have a worldwide market.
One such platform dedicated for assisting people in protecting their IP in hassle-free manner & without making any compromises in terms of expertise as well as acumen needed in protecting the same is GlobalPatentFiling (GPF).
Trademark Protection for Brands
Building a strong brand is highly essential in the electronics industry. Trademarks help in protecting logos, slogans & brand names. Therefore, it is important to make sure that your trademarks are distinctive and not easily confused with the other brands. Also, regularly monitor & enforce the trademarks to avoid unauthorized use.
Also filing for a trademark registration is an important step in obtaining legal protection for brands. Hence, brands should work with a qualified intellectual property attorney in order to navigate the registration process efficiently. Registration offers numerous benefits such as exclusive right to use the mark as well as the ability of taking legal action against infringers.
One such company that renders a comprehensive suite of services, by guiding businesses through the complete trademark registration process and ensuring your brand name protection is Trademark Registration Agency.
Leverage Copyright protection
Although copyrights are associated with creative works, it can also be applied to some of the aspects of electronics that include user interfaces, software, & design elements. Registering for copyrights only renders an extra layer of protection.
Secure Trade Secrets
Several breakthroughs in the electronics industry include formulas, algorithms or proprietary processes as well. In order to protect these valuable trade secrets it is important to apply strict confidentiality measures that include NDAs with contractors, partners as well as employees.
Implement Robust Contracts & Agreements
Make sure that all the contracts & agreements along with employment contracts & collaborations possess clear language regarding IP ownership & confidentiality. Also, clearly define the scope of work, ownership of innovations as well.
Enforce IP rights
Monitor the market for potential infringement of IP rights actively and promptly take action against any kind of unauthorized use of the patents, trademarks or trade secrets. This proactive approach not only sends a strong message but it also dissuades potential infringers.
Stay informed about regulatory changes
Since the legal landscape around IP is dynamic, it is important to stay informed regarding the changes in patent laws, international treaties as well as industry regulations in order to adapt the IP protection strategy.
“We are going to be a major electronic destination which means that we will be the largest producers of smartphones, laptops, tablets, consumer electronics, strategic electronics, hearables, wearables etc. We have just crossed $100 billion of electronic manufacturing riding on the success of mobile phones,” stated Pankaj Mohindroo, Chairman of India Cellular and Electronics Association in an interview with Deccan Herald, when asked about what makes India a more viable option for semiconductor manufacturing.
Owing to the innovation in the electronic industry, there will be numerous distruptive technologies arising in this industry hence it is important to find the right business solutions in order to stay ahead of the curve within the electronics industry.