Patents boost research, investment

Muscat: Patent information is required for the transfer of technology, to contribute to direct investment and encourage research and development, said the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
The ministry provides information about patents through a service, which is helpful for innovators and companies. The service is for providing details regarding the registration of local and foreign patents in the intellectual department, their time, and offers an opportunity to find out the latest developments in the field of various technologies.
It provides deterrence and safety for the innovations of others by informing them that such technologies have already been registered.
The intellectual property department of the ministry said that the information regarding patents is technical and legal information is mentioned in the documents of the patents published by the offices of the patents regularly.
The patent document contains comprehensive description on method of work of the patented invention and details, specifying the scope of protection, date of patenting, and other relevant references.
The total number of patent documents in the world is some 40 million, which makes patent information the most comprehensive collection of classified technical data, it said.
According to the ministry, “patent information” helps researchers and business owners avoid duplication of research and development, build and improve existing products or processes, and assess the state of the specific industrial technology.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry said that the disclosure of PCT patent applications for such a huge amount of information about their inventions because of the patent system, which balances the exclusive granted rights to the owner of a patent for an invention, as opposed to an obligation to disclose information to the public about the newly developed technology.