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PATENTS ACT 1990

Table of Provisions

  • 1 Short title  
  • 2 Commencement  
  • 3 Definitions  
  • 4 What are typical steps in getting and maintaining a patent?  
  • 5 Associated applications  
  • 6 Deposit requirements  
  • 7 Novelty and inventive step  
  • 8 Disclosure in basic applications  
  • 9 Secret use  
  • 10 Certain international applications to be taken to have been given an international filing date  
  • 11 Act binds the Crown  
  • 12 Application of Act  
  • 13 Exclusive rights given by patent  
  • 14 Assignment of patent  
  • 15 Who may be granted a patent?  
  • 16 Co-ownership of patents  
  • 17 Directions to co-owners  
  • 18 Patentable inventions  
  • 19 Certificate of validity  
  • 20 Validity of patent not guaranteed  
  • 21 Validity not implied by making or refusal of non-infringement declaration  
  • 22 Invalidity in relation to one claim not to affect validity in relation to other claims  
  • 23 Validity not affected by publication etc. after priority date  
  • 24 Validity not affected by certain publication or use  
  • 25 Validity: patents of addition  
  • 26 Validity not affected in certain cases involving amendments  
  • 27 Notice of matters affecting validity of standard patents  
  • 28 Notice of matters affecting validity of petty patents  
  • 29 Application for patent  
  • 30 Filing date  
  • 31 Joint applicants  
  • 32 Disputes between applicants etc.  
  • 33 Applications by opponents etc.  
  • 34 Applications by eligible persons arising out of court proceedings  
  • 35 Applications by eligible persons following revocation by Commissioner  
  • 36 Other applications by eligible persons  
  • 37 Complete application may be treated as provisional  
  • 38 Time for making complete application  
  • 39 Divisional applications  
  • 40 Specifications  
  • 41 Specifications: micro-organisms  
  • 42 Micro-organisms ceasing to be reasonably available  
  • 43 Priority dates  
  • 44 Request for examination  
  • 45 Examination  
  • 46 Request for deferment of examination  
  • 47 Request for modified examination  
  • 48 Modified examination  
  • 49 Acceptance of patent request: standard patent  
  • 50 Consideration and acceptance of patent request: petty patent  
  • 51 Application or grant may be refused in certain cases  
  • 52 Appeal  
  • 53 Publication of certain information about applicants etc.  
  • 54 Notice of Publication  
  • 55 Documents open to public inspection  
  • 56 Certain documents not to be published  
  • 57 Effect of publication of complete specification  
  • 58 Result of search may be disclosed  
  • 59 Opposition to grant of standard patent  
  • 60 Hearing and decision by Commissioner  
  • 61 Grant of standard patent  
  • 62 Grant and publication of petty patent  
  • 63 Joint patentees  
  • 64 Grant: multiple applications  
  • 65 Date of patent  
  • 66 Sealing of duplicate of patent  
  • 67 Term of standard patent  
  • 68 Term of petty patent  
  • 69 Extension of term of petty patent  
  • 70 Application for extension of term of patent relating to a pharmaceutical substance  
  • 71 Application for extension to lapse in certain circumstances  
  • 72 Issue of marketing approval certificate  
  • 73 Advertisement of application for extension  
  • 74 Opposition to extension  
  • 75 Determination of application for extension  
  • 76 Limitation on infringement proceedings  
  • 77 Rights of patentee  
  • 78 Appeals  
  • 79 Delegation  
  • 80 Chapter does not apply to petty patents  
  • 81 Grant of patent of addition  
  • 82 Revocation of patent and grant of patent of addition instead  
  • 83 Term of patent of addition  
  • 84 Non-extension of term of patent for main invention  
  • 85 Revocation of patent for main invention  
  • 86 Renewal fees not payable  
  • 87 Fees payable where patent of addition becomes an independent patent  
  • 88 PCT applications  
  • 89 Modified application of Act  
  • 90 Publication of PCT applications  
  • 91 Application of certain provisions to PCT applications  
  • 92 Notice of publication  
  • 93 Evidence of matters arising under PCT  
  • 94 Convention applicants may make Convention applications  
  • 95 Manner of making Convention application  
  • 96 Withdrawn, abandoned or refused applications  
  • 97 Re-examination of complete specifications  
  • 98 Report on re-examination  
  • 99 Statement by applicant or patentee  
  • 100 Copies of report to be given to court  
  • 101 Revocation of patent following re-examination  
  • 102 What amendments are not allowable?  
  • 103 Consent of mortgagee or exclusive licensee needed  
  • 104 Amendments by applicants and patentees  
  • 105 Amendments directed by court  
  • 106 Amendments directed by Commissioner: patents  
  • 107 Amendments directed by Commissioner: patent applications  
  • 108 Amendments directed by Commissioner: extensions of term of petty patents  
  • 109 Appeal  
  • 110 Advertisement of amendment of complete specification  
  • 111 Amendments relating to micro-organisms  
  • 112 Pending proceedings  
  • 113 Persons claiming under assignment or agreement  
  • 114 Priority date of certain amended claims  
  • 115 Restriction on recovery of damages etc.  
  • 116 Interpretation of amended specifications  
  • 117 Infringement by supply of products  
  • 118 Infringement exemptions: use in or on foreign vessels, aircraft or vehicles  
  • 119 Infringement exemptions: prior use  
  • 120 Infringement proceedings  
  • 121 Counter-claim for revocation of patent  
  • 122 Relief for infringement of patent  
  • 123 Innocent infringement  
  • 124 Interpretation  
  • 125 Application for non-infringement declaration  
  • 126 Proceedings for non-infringement declarations  
  • 127 Effect of non-infringement declarations  
  • 128 Application for relief from unjustified threats  
  • 129 Court's power to grant relief  
  • 130 Counter-claim for infringement  
  • 131 Notification of patent not a threat  
  • 132 Liability of legal practitioner or patent attorney  
  • 133 Compulsory licences  
  • 134 Revocation of standard patent after grant of compulsory licence  
  • 135 Reasonable requirements of the public  
  • 136 Orders to be consistent with international agreements  
  • 137 Revocation on surrender of patent  
  • 138 Revocation of patents in other circumstances  
  • 139 Parties to proceedings  
  • 140 Commissioner to be given copies of orders  
  • 141 Withdrawal of applications  
  • 142 Lapsing of applications  
  • 143 Ceasing of patents  
  • 144 Void conditions  
  • 145 Termination of contract after patent ceases to be in force  
  • 146 Effect of Chapter  
  • 147 Certificate by Director as to associated technology  
  • 148 Lapsing etc. of applications  
  • 149 Revocation of direction  
  • 150 Restoration of lapsed application  
  • 151 Reinstatement of application as an international application  
  • 152 Notice of prohibitions or restrictions on publication  
  • 153 Effect of order  
  • 154 Jurisdiction of Federal Court  
  • 155 Jurisdiction of other prescribed courts  
  • 156 Exercise of jurisdiction  
  • 157 Transfer of proceedings  
  • 158 Appeals  
  • 159 Commissioner may appear in appeals  
  • 160 Powers of Federal Court  
  • 161 Nominated persons and patentees  
  • 162 Commonwealth and State authorities  
  • 163 Exploitation of inventions by Crown  
  • 164 Nominated person or patentee to be informed of exploitation  
  • 165 Remuneration and terms for exploitation  
  • 166 Previous agreements inoperative  
  • 167 Sale of products  
  • 168 Supply of products by Commonwealth to foreign countries  
  • 169 Declarations that inventions have been exploited  
  • 170 Sale of forfeited articles  
  • 171 Acquisition of inventions or patents by Commonwealth  
  • 172 Assignment of invention to Commonwealth  
  • 173 Prohibition of publication of information about inventions  
  • 174 Effect of prohibition orders  
  • 175 Disclosure of information to Commonwealth authority  
  • 176 International applications treated as applications under this Act  
  • 177 False representations about the Patent Office  
  • 178 False representations about patents or patented articles  
  • 179 Failure to comply with summons  
  • 180 Refusal to give evidence  
  • 181 Failure to produce documents or articles  
  • 182 Officers not to traffic in inventions  
  • 183 Unauthorised disclosure of information by employees etc.  
  • 184 Other unauthorised disclosures of information  
  • 185 Employees etc. not to prepare documents or search records  
  • 186 Register of Patents  
  • 187 Registration of particulars of patents etc.  
  • 188 Trusts not registrable  
  • 189 Power of patentee to deal with patent  
  • 190 Inspection of Register  
  • 191 False entries in Register  
  • 192 Orders for rectification of Register  
  • 193 Inspection of documents  
  • 194 Information obtainable from Commissioner  
  • 195 Evidence - the Register  
  • 196 Evidence - unregistered particulars  
  • 197 Evidence - certificate and copies of documents  
  • 198 Registration of patent attorneys  
  • 199 Deregistration  
  • 200 Privileges  
  • 201 Offences: unregistered persons etc.  
  • 202 Documents prepared by legal practitioners  
  • 203 Attendance at patent attorney's office  
  • 204 Time for starting prosecutions  
  • 205 Patent Office and sub-offices  
  • 206 Patent Office seal  
  • 207 Commissioner of Patents  
  • 208 Deputy Commissioner of Patents  
  • 209 Delegation of Commissioner's powers and functions  
  • 210 Commissioner's powers  
  • 211 Recovery of costs awarded by Commissioner  
  • 212 Copies of examination reports to be communicated  
  • 213 Making and signing applications etc.  
  • 214 Filing of documents  
  • 215 Death of applicant or nominated person  
  • 216 Exercise of discretionary power by Commissioner  
  • 217 Assessors  
  • 218 Costs where patent invalid in part  
  • 219 Security for costs  
  • 220 Costs of attendance of patent attorney  
  • 221 Service of documents  
  • 222 Publication of Official Journal etc.  
  • 223 Extensions of time  
  • 224 Review of decisions  
  • 225 Conduct of directors, servants and agents  
  • 226 Reproduction of published specifications does not infringe copyright  
  • 227 Fees  
  • 228 Regulations  
  • 229 Consequential amendments  
  • 230 Repeal  
  • 231 Application of Part III of 1989 Amending Act  
  • 232 Application of this Act: extensions of term  
  • 233 Patents granted under 1952 Act  
  • 234 Applications under 1952 Act  
  • 235 Other applications and proceedings under 1952 Act  
  • 236 Micro-organisms  
  • 237 Orders, directions etc. under 1952 Act  
  • 238 The Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner  
  • 239 The Register of Patents and Register of Patent Attorneys  
  • 240 Registered patent attorneys  

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