Section 24 Patents and Designs Act 1971

Section 24 of the Patents and Designs Act 1971 is about Assignments, transfers and joint ownership. It is under ‘General’ of the Act. It provides as follows:

(1) Subject tO this section, a person’s rights in a patent application, in an application for the registration of a design, in a patent or in a registered design may be assigned, transferred by succession or held in joint ownership.

(2) An assignment under subsection (1) of this section shall be in writing and signed by the parties.

(3) An assignment or transfer by succession under subsection (1) of this section shall have no effect against third parties unless it has been registered and the prescribed fee paid.

(4) In the absence of any provision to the contrary among themselves, joint owners of a patent or registered design may separately transfer their shares, exploit the patented invention, utilise the registered design or exercise the rights conferred by section 6 or 9 of this Act, as the case may be; but a licence under this Act may not be granted by joint owners otherwise than jointly.

(5) Any reference (however expressed) in this Act to an applicant for a patent, an applicant for the registration of a design, a patentee or a design owner includes, unless the context otherwise requires, a reference to any predecessors or successors in title and, where appropriate, to joint applicants, joint patentees or joint owners, as the case may be.

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