Patents Act 1977
Manual of Patent Practice guidance for interpreting the Patent Act 1977.
Part 1: New domestic law
Patentability
1. Patentable inventions 
(100Kb)
2.
Novelty (76Kb)
3. Inventive step (123Kb)
4. Industrial
application (74Kb)
4A. Methods of treatment or diagnosis (57Kb)
5.
Priority date (75Kb)
6.
Disclosure of matter, etc., between earlier and later application (17Kb)
Right to apply for and obtain a patent and be mentioned as inventor
7. Right to apply for and obtain a patent (44Kb)
8.
Determination before grant of questions about entitlement to patents, etc. (57Kb)
9.
Determination after grant of questions referred to before grant (14Kb)
10.
Handling of application by joint applicants (18Kb)
11. Effect of transfer
of application under section 8 or 10 (25Kb)
12. Determination of questions
about entitlement to foreign and convention patents, etc. (37Kb)
13. Mention
of inventor (32Kb)
Applications
14. Making of application (232Kb)
15.
Date of filing application (109Kb)
15A. Preliminary examination (49Kb)
16.
Publication of application (56Kb)
Examination and search
17. Search (189Kb)
18. Substantive
examination and grant or refusal of patent (262Kb)
19. General power to amend
application before grant (40Kb)
20. Failure of application (42Kb)
20A.
Reinstatement of applications (36Kb)
20B. Effect of reinstatement under
section 20A (20Kb)
21. Observations by third party on patentability (48Kb)
Security and safety
22. Information prejudicial to national security or safety
of public (43Kb)
23. Restrictions on applications abroad by United Kingdom
residents (20Kb)
Provisions as to patents after grant
24. Publication and certificate of grant (18Kb)
25.
Term of patent (25Kb)
26. Patent not to be impugned for lack of unity (13Kb)
27.
General power to amend specification after grant (62Kb)
28. Restoration
of lapsed patents (44Kb)
28A. Effect of order for restoration of patent (18Kb)
29.
Surrender of patents (19Kb)
Property in patents and applications, and registration
30. Nature of, and transactions in, patents and applications
for patents (25Kb)
31. Nature of, and transactions in, patents and applications
for patents in Scotland (18Kb)
32. Register of patents, etc. (51Kb)
33.
Effect of registration, etc., on rights in patents (24Kb)
34. Rectification
of register (14Kb)
35. Evidence of register, documents, etc. [repealed] (10Kb)
36.
Co-ownership of patents and applications for patents (28Kb)
37. Determination
of right to patent after grant (39Kb)
38. Effect of transfer of patent under
section 37 (23Kb)
Employees’ inventions
39. Right to employees’ inventions (31Kb)
40.
Compensation of employees for certain inventions (39Kb)
41. Amount of compensation (33Kb)
42.
Enforceability of contracts relating to employees’ inventions (19Kb)
43.
Supplementary (19Kb)
Contracts as to patented products, etc.
44. Avoidance of certain restrictive conditions [repealed] (29Kb)
45.
Determination of parts of certain contracts [repealed] (21Kb)
Licences of right and compulsory licences
46. Patentee’s application for entry in register that
licences are available as of right (131Kb)
47. Cancellation of entry made
under s.46 (26Kb)
48. Compulsory licences: general (35Kb)
48A.
Compulsory licences: WTO proprietors (29Kb)
48B. Compulsory licences: other
cases (38Kb)
49. Provisions about licences under section 48 (19Kb)
50.
Exercise of powers on application under section 48 (25Kb)
50A. Powers exercisable
following merger and market investigations (22Kb)
51. Powers exercisable
in consequence of report of Competition Commission (20Kb)
52. Opposition,
appeal and arbitration (27Kb)
53. Compulsory licences: supplementary provisions (20Kb)
54.
Special provisions where patented invention is being worked abroad (14Kb)
Use of patented inventions for services of the Crown
55. Use of patented inventions for services of the Crown (33Kb)
56.
Interpretation, etc., of provisions about Crown use (23Kb)
57. Rights of
third parties in respect of Crown use (26Kb)
57A. Compensation for loss
of profit (17Kb)
58. References of disputes as to Crown use (39Kb)
59.
Special provisions as to Crown use during emergency (19Kb)
Infringement
60. Meaning of infringement (68Kb)
61.
Proceedings for infringement of patent (37Kb)
62. Restrictions on recovery
of damages for infringement (29Kb)
63. Relief for infringement of partially
valid patent (22Kb)
64. Right to continue use begun before priority date (21Kb)
65.
Certificate of contested validity (17Kb)
66. Proceedings for infringement
by a co-owner (15Kb)
67. Proceedings for infringement by exclusive licensee (18Kb)
68.
Effect on non-registration on infringement proceedings (16Kb)
69. Infringement
of rights conferred by publication of application (21Kb)
70. Remedy for
groundless threats of infringement proceedings (29Kb)
71. Declaration or
declarator as to non-infringement (24Kb)
Revocation of patents
72. Power to revoke patents on application (86Kb)
73.
Comptroller's power to revoke patents on his own initiative (43Kb)
Putting validity in issue
74. Proceedings in which validity of patent may be put
in issue (27Kb)
Opinions
74A. Opinions as to validity or infringement (32Kb)
74B.
Reviews of opinions under section 74A (22Kb)
General provisions as to amendment of patents and applications
75. Amendment of patent in infringement or revocation
proceedings (42Kb)
76. Amendment of applications and patents not to include
added matter (52Kb)
76A. Biotechnological inventions (29Kb)
Part 2: Provisions about international conventions
European patents and patent applications
77. Effect of European patent (UK) (29Kb)
78.
Effect of filing an application for a European patent (UK) (29Kb)
79. Operation
of section 78 in relation to certain European patent applications (16Kb)
80.
Authentic text of European patents and patent applications (24Kb)
81. Conversion
of European patent applications (33Kb)
82. Jurisdiction to determine questions
as to right to a patent (29Kb)
83. Effect of patent decisions of competent
authorities of other states (17Kb)
84. Patent agents and other representatives
[repealed] (10Kb)
85. European patent attorneys [repealed] (10Kb)
Community patents
86. Implementation of Community Patent Convention [repealed] (10Kb)
87.
Decisions on Community Patent Convention [repealed] (10Kb)
88. Jurisdiction
in legal proceedings in connection with Community Patent Convention [repealed] (10Kb)
International applications for patents
89. Effects of international application for patent (38Kb)
89A.
International and national phases of application (54Kb)
89B. Adaptation
of provisions in relation to international application (41Kb)
Convention countries
90. Orders in Council as to convention countries (74Kb)
Miscellaneous
91. Evidence of conventions and instruments under conventions (23Kb)
92.
Obtaining evidence for proceedings under the European Patent Convention (20Kb)
93.
Enforcement of orders for costs (14Kb)
94. Communication of information
to the European Patent Office, etc. (15Kb)
95. Financial provisions (12Kb)
Part 3 - Miscellaneous and general
Legal Proceedings
96. The Patents Court [repealed] (27Kb)
97.
Appeals from the comptroller (32Kb)
98. Proceedings in Scotland (15Kb)
99.
General powers of the court (13Kb)
99A. Power of Patents Court to order
report (15Kb)
99B. Power of Court of Session to order report (14Kb)
100.
Burden of proof in certain cases (17Kb)
101. Exercise of comptroller’s discretionary
powers (19Kb)
102. Right of audience, etc., in proceedings before the comptroller (21Kb)
102A.
Right of audience, etc., in proceedings on appeal from the comptroller (18Kb)
103.
Extension of privilege for communications with solicitors relating to patent proceedings (15Kb)
104.
Privilege for communication with patent agents relating to patent proceedings [repealed] (11Kb)
105.
Extension of privilege in Scotland for communications relating to patent proceedings (14Kb)
106.
Costs and expenses in proceedings before the Court (19Kb)
107. Costs and
expenses in proceedings before the comptroller (25Kb)
108. Licences granted
by order of comptroller (13Kb)
Offences
109. Falsification of register etc. (13Kb)
110.
Unauthorised claim of patent rights (20Kb)
111. Unauthorised claim that
patent has been applied for (20Kb)
112. Misuse of title "Patent Office" (12Kb)
113.
Offences by corporations (13Kb)
Patent agents
114. Restrictions on practice as patent agent [repealed] (11Kb)
115.
Power of comptroller to refuse to deal with certain agents [repealed] (10Kb)
Immunity of department
116. Immunity of department as regards official acts (14Kb)
Administrative provisions
117. Correction of errors in patents and applications (50Kb)
117A.
Effect of resuscitation of a withdrawn application under section 117 (20Kb)
117B.
Extension of time limits specified by comptroller (22Kb)
118. Information
about patent applications and patents, and inspection of documents (64Kb)
119.
Service by post (15Kb)
120. Hours of business and excluded days (20Kb)
121.
Comptroller's annual report (13Kb)
Supplemental
122. Crown's right to sell forfeited articles (13Kb)
123.
Rules (89Kb)
124. Rules, regulations and orders; supplementary (19Kb)
124A.
Use of electronic communications (31Kb)
125. Extent of invention (47Kb)
125A.
Disclosure of invention by specification: availability of samples of biological material (49Kb)
126.
Stamp duty [repealed] (9Kb)
127. Existing patents and applications (20Kb)
128.
Priorities between patents and applications under the 1949 Act and this Act (19Kb)
128A.
EU compulsory licences (25Kb)
128B. Supplementary Protection Certificates (25Kb)
129.
Application of Act to Crown (12Kb)
130. Interpretation (49Kb)
131.
Northern Ireland (14Kb)
131A. Scotland (12Kb)
132.
Short title, extent, commencement, consequential amendments and repeals (24Kb)
