http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=50341
Nasscom Plans Fund To Help SMEs In Filing Patents
OUR EFE BUREAU
HYDERABAD: National Association of Software & Services Companies
(Nasscom) has proposed a special fund to render financial assistance
to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) companies engaged in IT
product development for filing patents.
"We are in talks with the Centre and have proposed a special rolling
fund for SMEs which require handholding during patent application
processes," said Nasscom president Kiran Karnik. The Centre is looking
at all possibilities and is open to setting up of this fund, he added.
Speaking at the sidelines of the iTECH 2004 Nasscom meet, Mr Karnik
explained that the fund will cater specially to SMEs as the costs for
filing a patent is very high for them. Incidently, Nasscom has already
created a product forum which will familiarise SMEs with
patent-related issues, interact with venture capitalists for funding,
etc for ‘Made in India' and ‘Inside India' products.
Kiran Karnik
Funds will be arranged for SMEs based on the importance of the product
and the extent of handholding. In this regard, a forum will be set up
to decide the extend of the assistance which will be given as a loan.
If the patent fructifies, it will become a grant, he added.
Mr Karnik said that Nasscom has proposed a ‘professional services
visa', on the lines of the tourist, business and work permit visas.
This will ensure easier movement of professionals going abroad.
"The government is looking into it as the recent Malaysia incident has
created a lot of furore in the industry and there is a great demand
for a separate visa for IT professionals," he said.
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