INDIA. Mumbai: Indian Army has obtained Intellectual property Rights (IPR) for the design and camouflage pattern of its newly introduced Camouflage Pattern Dress to prevent its unauthorized proliferation.
The Chief of Army Staff unveiled the new ‘Digital Pattern Combat Uniform’ during Army Day 2022. The copyright of the design is with Indian Army for ten years, extendable by another five yrs.
This has been done to prevent unauthorized vendors from manufacturing and selling the combat pattern dress in the open market as it posed a serious security threat for the Indian Army and the Nation as a whole, an official statement read.
The 12-lakh-strong Army completed the process for registration of the new camouflage pattern and design to establish ownership to the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademark, Kolkata. The registration was published in the Patent Office’s official journal vide Issue No 42/2022, dated October 21, 2022, as per the statement.
The exclusive IPR of the Design and Camouflage Pattern now rests solely with the Indian Army. Therefore, the statement added that manufacturing by any vendor who is not authorized would be illegal and liable to face legal repercussions.
In order to promote the creation of IPR in the defense sector, an IPR (IPF) Cell has been set up in the Department of Defence Production to provide general advisory about IPRs, such as patents, trademarks, designs, and copyrights, among others.
The bulk procurement of 11.70 lakh digital uniforms will cater to Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO) and Other Ranks (OR) as part of the individual kit (Life Cycle Concept with a life of 15 months) and is likely to commence from August 2023.
Around 50,000 sets have already been procured through Canteen Stores Department (CSD) and delivered to 15 CSD Depots across the country. The new uniform will be made available in a phased manner to the personnel of the Indian Army. Additionally, workshops to train civil and military tailors in stitching the new uniform per the specified design are coordinated with instructors from the NIFT in Delhi.
In collaboration with the civil authorities and police, Headquarters Maharashtra, Gujarat & Goa Area has proactively disseminated the above information to all the vendors in all states under its Area of Responsibility.
The combat uniform
Uniforms are one of the most distinctive identifying features of any military force. With the new unique camouflage pattern, Army retains the combination of the same colors — olive green and earthy shades — with the touch of the digital pattern now. Further, it has been designed keeping in mind the many kinds of operational conditions that the soldiers function in, from deserts to high-altitude areas, jungles, and plains.
Designed by a team of 12 people at the (NIFT), the combat uniform has been created through a collaborative process with the Indian Army, keeping in mind the “4Cs” — comfort, climate, camouflage, and confidentiality. The fabric of the uniform was selected out of five options curated specifically for the Army by NIFT, and the finalized pattern was one of the 17 specially designed options.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) also unveiled the new disruptive pattern combat uniform designed by NIFT on its 90th foundation day on October 8, 2022.
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