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Section 25 of the Indian Patents Act 1970 (Opposition to patent)

OTHER INDIAN LAWS 1. Short title, extent and commencement 2. Definitions and interpretation 3. What are not inventions 4. Inventions relating to atomic energy not patentable. 5. Omitted. 6. Persons entitled to apply for patents 7. Form of application. 8. Information and undertaking regarding foreign applications. 9. Provisional and complete specifications 10. Contents of specifications. 11. Priority dates of claims of a complete specification. 11A. Publication of applications. 11B. Request for examination. 12. Examination of application. 13. Search for anticipation by previous publication and by prior claim. 14. Consideration of the report of examiner by Controller. 15. Power of Controller to refuse or require amended applications, etc., in certain case. 16. Power of Controller to make orders respecting division of application. 17. Power of Controller to make orders respecting dating of application. 18. Powers of Controller in cases of anticipation. 19. Powers of Controller in case of potential infringement. 20. Powers of Controller to make orders regarding substitution of applicants, etc. 21. Time for putting application in order for grant. 22. Omitted. 23. Omitted 24. Omitted 24A-24F. Omitted 25. Opposition to the patent. 26. In cases of “obtaining” Controller may treat the patent as the patent of opponent. 27. Omitted. 28. Mention of inventor as such in patent. 29. Anticipation by previous publication. 30. Anticipation by previous communication to Government. 31. Anticipation by public display, etc. 32. Anticipation by public working. 33. Anticipation by use and publication after provisional specification. 34. No anticipation if circumstances are only as described in sections 29,30,31 and 32. 35. Secrecy directions relating to inventions relevant for defence purposes. 36. Secrecy directions to be periodically reviewed. 37. Consequences of secrecy directions. 38. Revocation of secrecy directions and extension of time. 39. Residents not to apply for patents outside India without prior permission. 40. Liability for contravention of section 35 or section 39. 41. Finality of orders of Controller and Central Government. 42. Savings respecting disclosure to Government. 43. Grant of patents. 44. Amendment of patent granted to deceased applicant. 45. Date of patent. 46. Form, extent and effect of patent. 47. Grant of patents to be subject to certain conditions. 48. Rights of patentees. 49. Patent rights not infringed when used on foreign vessels etc., temporarily or accidentally in India 50. Rights of co-owners of patents. 51. Power of Controller to give directions to co-owners. 52. Grant of patent to true and first inventor where it has been obtained by another in fraud of him. 53. Term of patent. 54. Patents of addition. 55. Term of patents of addition. 56. Omitted. 57. Amendment of application and specification or any document related thereto before Controller. 58. Amendment of specification before Appellate Board or High Court. 59. Supplementary provisions as to amendment of application or specification. 60. Applications for restoration of lapsed patents. 61. Procedure for disposal of applications for restoration of lapsed patents 62. Rights of patentees of lapsed patents which have been restored 63. Surrender of patents. 64. Revocation of patents. 65. Revocation of patent or amendment of complete specification on directions from Government in cases relating to atomic energy. 66. Revocation of patent in public interest. 67. Register of patents and particulars to be entered therein. 68. Assignments, etc., not to be valid unless in writing and duly executed. 69. Registration of assignments, transmissions, etc. 70. Power of registered grantee or proprietor to deal with patent. 71. Rectification of register by Appellate Board. 72. Register to be open for inspection. 73. Controller and other officers. 74. Patent office and its branches. 75. Restriction on employees of patent office as to right or interest in patents. 76. Officers and employees not to furnish information, etc. 77. Controller to have certain powers of a civil court. 78. Power of Controller to correct clerical errors, etc. 79. Evidence how to be given and powers of Controller in respect thereof. 80. Exercise of discretionary powers by Controller. 81. Disposal by Controller of applications for extension of time. 82. Definition of “patented articles” and “patentee”. 83. General principles applicable to working of patented inventions 84.Compulsory licences. 85. Revocation of patents by the Controller for non-working. 86. Power of Controller to adjourn applications for compulsory licences, etc., in certain cases. 87. Procedure for dealing with applications under sections 84 and 85. 88. Powers of Controller in granting compulsory licences. 89. General purposes for granting compulsory licences. 90. Terms and conditions of compulsory licences. 91. Licensing of related patents. 92. Special provision for compulsory licences on notifications by Central Government. 92A. Compulsory licence for export of patented pharmaceutical products in certain exceptional circumstances. 93. Order for licence to operate as a deed between parties concerned. 94. Termination of compulsory licence. 95-98. (Omitted). 99. Meaning of use of invention for purposes of Government. 100. Power of Central Government to use inventions for purposes of Government. 101. Rights of third parties in respect of use of invention for purposes of Government. 102. Acquisition of inventions and patents by the Central Government. 103. Reference to High Court of disputes as to use for purposes of Government. 104. Jurisdiction. 104A. Burden of proof in case of suits concerning infringement. 105. Power of court to make declaration as to non-infringement. 106. Power of court to grant relief in cases of groundless threats of infringement proceedings. 107. Defences, etc., in suits for infringement 107A. Certain acts not to be considered as infringement. 108. Reliefs in suit for infringement. 109. Right of exclusive licensee to take proceedings against infringement. 110. Right of licensee under section 84 to take proceedings against infringement. 111. Restriction on power of court to grant damages or account of profits for infringement. 112. Omitted. 113. Certificate of validity of specification and costs of subsequent suits for infringement thereof. 114. Relief for infringement of partially valid specification. 115. Scientific advisers. 116. Appellate Board. 117. Omitted. 117A. Appeals to Appellate Board. 117B. Omitted. 117C. Bar of jurisdiction of courts, etc. 117D. Omitted. 117E. Appearance of Controller in legal proceedings. 117F. Omitted. 117G. Omitted. 117H. Omitted. 118. Contravention of secrecy provisions relating to certain inventions. 119. Falsification of entries in register, etc. 120. Unauthorised claim of patent rights. 121. Wrongful use of words “patent office”. 122. Refusal or failure to supply information. 123. Practice by non-registered patent agents. 124. Offences by companies 125. Register of patent agents. 126. Qualifications for registration as patent agents. 127. Rights of patent agents. 128. Subscription and verification of certain documents by patent agents. 129. Restrictions on practice as patent agents. 130. Removal from register of patent agents and restoration. 131. Power of Controller to refuse to deal with certain agents. 132. Savings in respect of other persons authorised to act as agents. 133. Convention countries. 134. Notification as to countries not providing for reciprocity. 135. Convention applications. 136. Special provisions relating to convention application. 137. Multiple priorities. 138. Supplementary provisions as to convention applications. 139. Other provisions of Act to apply to convention applications. 140. Avoidance of certain restrictive conditions. 141. Determination of certain contracts. 142. Fees. 143. Restrictions upon publication of specification. 144. Reports of examiners to be confidential. 145. Publication of official journal. 146. Power of Controller to call for information from patentees. 147. Evidence of entries, documents, etc. 148. Declaration by infant, lunatic etc 149. Service of notices, etc., by post. 150. Security for costs. 151. Transmission of orders of courts to Controller. 152. Omitted. 153. Information relating to patents. 154. Loss or destruction of patents. 155. Reports of Controller to be placed before Parliament. 156. Patent to bind Government. 157. Right of Government to sell or use forfeited articles. 157A. Protection of security of India. 158. Power of High Courts to make rules. 159. Power of Central Government to make rules. 160. Rules to be placed before Parliament. 161. Omitted. 162. Repeal of Act 2 of 1911 in so far as it relates to patents and savings. 163. Omitted. 164. Omitted.

Section 25 of the Indian Patents Act 1970

Section 25 of the Indian Patents Act 1970 is about Opposition to patent. It is under CHAPTER V of the Act. CHAPTER V is titled OPPOSITION PROCEEDINGS TO GRANT OF PATENTS.

(1) Where an application for a patent has been published but a patent has not been granted, any person may, in writing, represent by way of opposition to the Controller against the grant of patent on the ground–

(a) that the applicant for the patent or the person under or through whom he claims, wrongfully obtained the invention or any part thereof from him or from a person under or through whom he claims;

See also  Section 278 Indian Penal Code (IPC) 1860

(b) that the invention so far as claimed in any claim of the complete specification has been published before the priority date of the claim–

(i) in any specification filed in pursuance of an application for a patent made in India on or after the 1st day of January, 1912; or

(ii) in India or elsewhere, in any other document:

Provided that the ground specified in sub-clause (ii) shall not be available where such publication does not constitute an anticipation of the invention by virtue of sub-section (2) or subsection (3) of section 29;

(c) that the invention so far as claimed in any claim of the complete specification is claimed in a claim of a complete specification published on or after the priority date of the applicant’s claim and filed in pursuance of an application for a patent in India, being a claim of which the priority date is earlier than that of the applicants claim;

(d) that the invention so far as claimed in any claim of the complete specification was publicly known or publicly used in India before the priority date of that claim.

Explanation.–For the purposes of this clause, an invention relating to a process for which a patent is claimed shall be deemed to have been publicly known or publicly used in India before the priority date of the claim if a product made by that process had already been imported into India before that date except where such importation has been for the purpose of reasonable trial or experiment only;

(e) that the invention so far as claimed in any claim of the complete specification is obvious and clearly does not involve any inventive step, having regard to the matter published as mentioned in clause (b) or having regard to what was used in India before the priority date of the applicant’s claim;

(f) that the subject of any claim of the complete specification is not an invention within the meaning of this Act, or is not patentable under this Act;

See also  Section 416 Indian Penal Code (IPC) 1860

(g) that the complete specification does not sufficiently and clearly describe the invention or the method by which it is to be performed;

(h) that the applicant has failed to disclose to the Controller the information required by section 8 or has furnished the information which in any material particular was false to his knowledge;

(i) that in the case of a convention application, the application was not made within twelve months from the date of the first application for protection for the invention made in a convention country by the applicant or a person from whom he derives title;

(j) that the complete specification does not disclose or wrongly mentions the source or geographical origin of biological material used for the invention;

(k) that the invention so far as claimed in any claim of the complete specification is anticipated having regard to the knowledge, oral or otherwise, available within any local or indigenous community in India or elsewhere,

but on no other ground and the Controller shall, if requested by such person for being heard, hear him and dispose of such representation in such manner and within such period as may be prescribed.

(2) At any time after the grant of patent but before the expiry of a period of one year from the date of publication of grant of a patent, any person interested may give notice of opposition to the Controller in the prescribed manner on any of the following grounds, namely:–

(a) that the patentee or the person under or through whom he claims, wrongfully obtained the invention or any part thereof from him or from a person under or through whom he claims;

(b) that the invention so far as claimed in any claim of the complete specification has been published before the priority date of the claim–

(i) in any specification filed in pursuance of an application for a patent made in India on or after the 1st day of January, 1912; or

(ii) in India or elsewhere, in any other document:

Provided that the ground specified in sub-clause (ii) shall not be available where such publication does not constitute an anticipation of the invention by virtue of sub-section (2) or subsection (3) of section 29;

See also  Section 133 Indian Contract Act 1872 (Discharge of surety …)

(c) that the invention so far as claimed in any claim of the complete specification is claimed in a claim of a complete specification published on or after the priority date of the claim of the patentee and filed in pursuance of an application for a patent in India, being a claim of which the priority date is earlier than that of the claim of the patentee;

(d) that the invention so far as claimed in any claim of the complete specification was publicly known or publicly used in India before the priority date of that claim.

Explanation.–For the purposes of this clause, an invention relating to a process for which a patent is granted shall be deemed to have been publicly known or publicly used in India before the priority date of the claim if a product made by that process had already been imported into India before that date except where such importation has been for the purpose of reasonable trial or experiment only;


(e) that the invention so far as claimed in any claim of the complete specification is obvious and clearly does not involve any inventive step, having regard to the matter published as mentioned in clause (b) or having regard to what was used in India before the priority date of the claim;

(f) that the subject of any claim of the complete specification is not an invention within the meaning of this Act, or is not patentable under this Act;

(g) that the complete specification does not sufficiently and clearly describe the invention or the method by which it is to be performed;

(h) that the patentee has failed to disclose to the Controller the information required by section 8 or has furnished the information which in any material particular was false to his knowledge;

(i) that in the case of a patent granted on convention application, the application for patent was not made within twelve months from the date of the first application for protection for the invention made in a convention country or in India by the patentee or a person from whom he derives title;

(j) that the complete specification does not disclose or wrongly mentions the source and geographical origin of biological material used for the invention;

(k) that the invention so far as claimed in any claim of the complete specification was anticipated having regard to the knowledge, oral or otherwise, available within any local or indigenous community in India or elsewhere, but on no other ground.

(3) (a) Where any such notice of opposition is duly given under sub-section (2), the Controller shall notify the patentee.

(b) On receipt of such notice of opposition, the Controller shall, by order in writing, constitute a Board to be known as the Opposition Board consisting of such officers as he may determine and refer such notice of opposition along with the documents to that Board for examination and submission of its recommendations to the Controller.

(c) Every Opposition Board constituted under clause (b) shall conduct the examination in accordance with such procedure as may be prescribed.

(4) On receipt of the recommendation of the Opposition Board and after giving the patentee and the opponent an opportunity of being heard, the Controller shall order either to maintain or to amend or to revoke the patent.

(5) While passing an order under sub-section (4) in respect of the ground mentioned in clause (d) or clause (e) of sub-section (2), the Controller shall not take into account any personal document or secret trial or secret use.

(6) In case the Controller issues an order under sub-section (4) that the patent shall be maintained subject to amendment of the specification or any other document, the patent shall stand amended accordingly.]


See also:

Section 21 Indian Patents Act 1970 (Time for putting application in order for grant.)

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