Patents, Designs, and Trade Marks Act 1883

JurisdictionUK Non-devolved


Patents, Designs, and Trade Marks Act, 1883

(46 & 47 Vict.) CHAPTER 57.

An Act to amend and consolidate the Law relating to Patents for Inventions, Registration of Designs, and of Trade Marks.

[25th August 1883]

B E it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

I Preliminary.

PART I.

Preliminary.

S-1 Short title.

1 Short title.

1. This Act may be cited as thePatents, Designs, and Trade Marks Act, 1883.

S-2 Division of Act into parts.

2 Division of Act into parts.

2. This Act is divided into parts, as follows:—

Part I.—Preliminary.

Part II.—Patents.

Part III.—Designs.

Part IV.—Trade Marks.

Part V.—General.

S-3 Commencement of Act.

3 Commencement of Act.

3. This Act, except where it is otherwise expressed, shall commence from and immediately after the thirty-first day of December one thousand eight hundred and eighty-three.

II Patents.

PART II.

Patents.

Application for and Grant of Patent.

Application for and Grant of Patent.

S-4 Persons entitled to apply for patent.

4 Persons entitled to apply for patent.

(1)4. (1.) Any person, whether a British subject or not, may make an application for a patent.

(2) (2.) Two or more persons may make a joint application for a patent, and a patent may be granted to them jointly.

S-5 Application and specification.

5 Application and specification.

(1)5. (1.) An application for a patent must be made in the form set forth in the First Schedule to this Act, or in such other form as may be from time to time prescribed; and must be left at, or sent by post to, the patent office in the prescribed manner.

(2) (2.) An application must contain a declaration to the effect that the applicant is in possession of an invention, whereof he, or in the case of a joint application, one or more of the applicants, claims or claim to be the true and first inventor or inventors, and for which he or they desires or desire to obtain a patent; and must be accompanied by either a provisional or complete specification.

(3) (3.) A provisional specification must describe the nature of the invention, and be accompanied by drawings, if required.

(4) (4.) A complete specification, whether left on application or subsequently, must particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the invention, and in what manner it is to be performed, and must be accompanied by drawings, if required.

(5) (5.) A specification, whether provisional or complete, must commence with the title, and in the case of a complete specification must end with a distinct statement of the invention claimed.

S-6 Reference of application to examiner.

6 Reference of application to examiner.

6. The comptroller shall refer every application to an examiner, who shall ascertain and report to the comptroller whether the nature of the invention has been fairly described, and the application, specification, and drawings (if any) have been prepared in the prescribed manner, and the title sufficiently indicates the subject matter of the invention.

S-7 Power for comptroller to refuse application or require amendment.

7 Power for comptroller to refuse application or require amendment.

(1)7. (1.) If the examiner reports that the nature of the invention is not fairly described, or that the application specification or drawings has not or have not been prepared in the prescribed manner, or that the title does not sufficiently indicate the subject matter of the invention, the comptroller may require that the application specification or drawings be amended before he proceeds with the application.

(2) (2.) Where the comptroller requires an amendment, the applicant may appeal from his decision to the law officer.

(3) (3.) The law officer shall, if required, hear the applicant and the comptroller, and may make an order determining whether and subject to what conditions, if any, the application shall be accepted.

(4) (4.) The comptroller shall, when an application has been accepted, give notice thereof to the applicant.

(5) (5.) If after an application has been made, but before a patent has been sealed, an application is made, accompanied by a specification bearing the same or a similar title, it shall be the duty of the examiner to report to the comptroller whether the specification appears to him to comprise the same invention; and, if he reports in the affirmative, the comptroller shall give notice to the applicants that he has so reported.

(6) (6.) Where the examiner reports in the affirmative, the comptroller may determine, subject to an appeal to the law officer, whether the invention comprised in both applications is the same, and if so he may refuse to seal a patent on the application of the second applicant.

S-8 Time for leaving complete specification.

8 Time for leaving complete specification.

(1)8. (1.) If the applicant does not leave a complete specification with his application, he may leave it at any subsequent time within nine months from the date of application.

(2) (2.) Unless a complete specification is left within that time the application shall be deemed to be abandoned.

S-9 Comparison of provisional and complete specification.

9 Comparison of provisional and complete specification.

(1)9. (1.) Where a complete specification is left after a provisional specification, the comptroller shall refer both specifications to an examiner for the purpose of ascertaining whether the complete specification has been prepared in the prescribed manner, and whether the invention particularly described in the complete specification is substantially the same as that which is described in the provisional specification.

(2) (2.) If the examiner reports that the conditions herein-before contained have not been complied with, the comptroller may refuse to accept the complete specification unless and until the same shall have been amended to his satisfaction; but any such refusal shall be subject to appeal to the law officer.

(3) (3.) The law officer shall, if required, hear the applicant and the comptroller, and may make an order determining whether and subject to what conditions, if any, the complete specification shall be accepted.

(4) (4.) Unless a complete specification is accepted within twelve months from the date of application, then (save in the case of an appeal having been lodged against the refusal to accept) the application shall, at the expiration of those twelve months, become void.

(5) (5.) Reports of examiners shall not in any case be published or be open to public inspection, and shall not be liable to production or inspection in any legal proceeding, other than an appeal to the law officer under this Act, unless the court or officer having power to order discovery in such legal proceeding shall certify that such production or inspection is desirable in the interests of justice, and ought to be allowed.

S-10 Advertisement on acceptance of complete specification.

10 Advertisement on acceptance of complete specification.

10. On the acceptance of the complete specification the comptroller shall advertise the acceptance; and the application and specification or specifications with the drawings (if any) shall be open to public inspection.

S-11 Opposition to grant of patent.

11 Opposition to grant of patent.

(1)11. (1.) Any person may at any time within two months from the date of the advertisement of the acceptance of a complete specification give notice at the patent office of opposition to the grant of the patent on the ground of the applicant having obtained the invention from him, or from a person of whom he is the legal representative, or on the ground that the invention has been patented in this country on an application of prior date, or on the ground of an examiner having reported to the comptroller that the specification appears to him to comprise the same invention as is comprised in a specification bearing the same or a similar title and accompanying a previous application, but on no other ground.

(2) (2.) Where such notice is given the comptroller shall give notice of the opposition to the applicant, and shall, on the expiration of those two months, after hearing the applicant and the person so giving notice, if desirous of being heard, decide on the case, but subject to appeal to the law officer.

(3) (3.) The law officer shall, if required, hear the applicant and any person so giving notice and being, in the opinion of the law officer, entitled to be heard in opposition to the grant, and shall determine whether the grant ought or ought not to be made.

(4) (4.) The law officer may, if he thinks fit, obtain the assistance of an expert, who shall be paid such remuneration as the law officer, with the consent of the Treasury, shall appoint.

S-12 Sealing of patent.

12 Sealing of patent.

(1)12. (1.) If there is no opposition, or, in case of opposition, if the determination is in favour of the grant of a patent, the comptroller shall cause a patent to be sealed with the seal of the patent office.

(2) (2.) A patent so sealed shall have the same effect, as if it were sealed with the Great Seal of the United Kingdom.

(3) (3.) A patent shall be scaled as soon as may be, and not after the expiration of fifteen months from the date of application, except in the cases herein-after mentioned, that is to say—

(a. ) Where the sealing is delayed by an appeal to the law officer, or by opposition to the grant of the patent, the patent may be sealed at such time as the law officer may direct.

(b. ) If the person making the application dies before the expiration of the fifteen months aforesaid, the patent may be granted to his legal representative and sealed at any time within twelve months after the death of the applicant.

S-13 Date of patent.

13 Date of patent.

13. Every patent shall be dated and sealed as...

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