Law students to aid techies get patents for free

Ahmedabad-based http://www.techpedia.in,an online database hosting the final-year projects of almost 1.5 lakh engineering students,is working out this model with the Gujarat National Law University (GNLU) in Gandhinagar.

GNLU Director Bimal Patel said a faculty meeting will be convened soon after the law university begins this year’s academic session next week. “We have already reached an in-principle agreement with Techpedia,and the faculty here will work out the framework as soon as possible,” said Patel.

Techpedia MD Hiranmay Mahanta said the idea was conceived because students can hardly afford to hire lawyers who can help them file patents. Lawyers usually charge Rs 1 lakh for the project while the patenting procedure costs about Rs 30,000.

The basic model is to have law students who have studied patent laws take up these cases at little or no cost and the GNLU will treat these cases as students’ project work,carrying marks.

Patel said he has already approved the idea but it remains to be decided if this will be marked as part of a continuous assessment or a year-end project. The students will be benefitted as the experience thus gained would add to their resumes,Mahanta said.