The Delhi High Court has set aside the Patent Office’s 2021 order rejecting Trident Limited’s patent application for its “air-rich” yarn and fabric technology. The Court directed the Patent Office to conduct a fresh review and assess the application on its merits.
Court finds major flaws in earlier rejection
The Court observed that the Patent Office failed to properly examine the core inventive feature of the claimed invention. Trident had highlighted that its yarn contains pores distributed uniformly across the entire radial cross-section. The Court held that this structural feature was central to determining novelty and inventive step.
The earlier decision had questioned whether Trident used any special means to achieve this uniform pore structure. The Court disagreed. It noted that Trident had submitted detailed manufacturing parameters, and these disclosed how the unique pore distribution was achieved. It ruled that this evidence should have been assessed more carefully.
Trident’s claim and technical advantages
Trident’s technology relates to air-rich yarns and fabrics and the process for manufacturing them. The company claims its yarn improves wettability, absorbency, and drying speed. The fabric also offers enhanced thickness and a softer feel. Trident asserts that its terry fabrics can absorb water instantly and dry significantly faster than conventional fabrics.
Fresh hearing ordered
The Court reversed the earlier rejection and remanded the case to the Patent Office. It ordered that a different Controller must hear and decide the matter. The fresh examination must take place within six months. The Court also instructed the authority to evaluate the invention independently and without influence from the previous decision.
Significance for the textile industry
The ruling reinforces the requirement for reasoned and technically grounded decisions in patent matters. It highlights that structural and functional features of textile innovations must be examined thoroughly. The decision may encourage more patent filings in the textile and fibre-engineering sectors. For Trident, the judgement offers a renewed opportunity to secure exclusive rights over its air-rich yarn technology in India.