Sec 67 to 72 (Chapter XIII Register of Patents) The Patents Act, 1970

67. Register of patents and particulars to be entered therein.—

(1) There shall be kept at the patent office a register of patents, wherein shall be entered—

(a) the names and addresses of grantees of patents;

(b) notifications of assignments, extension, and revocations of patents; and

(c) particulars of such other matters affecting the validity or proprietorship of patents as may be prescribed.

(2) No notice of any trust, whether express, implied or constructive, shall be entered in the register, and the Controller shall not be affected by any such notice.

(3) Subject to the superintendence and directions of the Central Government, the register shall be kept under the control and management of the Controller.

(4) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), it shall be lawful for the Controller to keep the register of patents or any part thereof in computer floppies, diskettes or any other electronic form subject to such safeguards as may be prescribed.

(5) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 (1 of 1872), a copy of, or extracts from, the register of patents, certified to be a true copy under the hand of the Controller or any officer duly authorised by the Controller in this behalf shall, in all legal proceedings, be admissible in evidence.

(6) In the event the register is kept wholly or partly in computer floppies, diskettes or any other electronic form,—

(a) reference in this Act to an entry in the register shall be deemed to include reference to a record of particulars kept in computer floppies, diskettes or any other electronic form and comprising the register or part of the register;

(b) references in this Act to particulars being registered or entered in the register shall be deemed to include references to the keeping of record of those particulars comprising the register or part of the register in computer floppies, diskettes or any other electronic form; and

(c) references in this Act to the rectification of the register are to be read as including references to the rectification of the record of particulars kept in computer floppies, diskettes or any other electronic form and comprising the register or part of the register.

68. Assignments, etc., not to be valid unless in writing and duly executed.—

An assignment of a patent or of a share in a patent, a mortgage, licence or the creation of any other interest in a patent shall not be valid unless the same were in writing and the agreement between the parties concerned is reduced to the form of a document embodying all the terms and conditions governing their rights and obligations and duly executed.

69. Registration of assignments, transmissions, etc.—

(1) Where any person becomes entitled by assignment, transmission or operation of law to a patent or to a share in a patent or becomes entitled as a mortgagee, licensee or otherwise to any other interest in a patent, he shall apply in writing in the prescribed manner to the Controller for the registration of his title or, as the case may be, of notice of his interest in the register.

(2) Without prejudice to the provisions of sub-section (1), an application for the registration of the title of any person becoming entitled by assignment to a patent or a share in a patent or becoming entitled by virtue of a mortgage, licence or other instrument to any other interest in a patent may be made in the prescribed manner by the assignor, mortgagor, licensor or other party to that instrument, as the case may be.

(3) Where an application is made under this section for the registration of the title of any person the Controller shall, upon proof to title of his satisfaction,—

(a) where that person is entitled to a patent or a share in a patent, register him in the register as proprietor or co-proprietor of the patent, and enter in the register particulars of the instrument or even by which he derives title; or

(b) where that person is entitled to any other interest in the patent, enter in the register notice of his interest, with particulars of the instrument, if any, creating it:

Provided that if there is any dispute between the parties whether the assignment, mortgage, licence, transmission, operation of law or any other such transaction has validly vested in such person a title to the patent or any share or interest therein, the Controller may refuse to take any action under clause (a) or, as the case may be, under clause (b), until the rights of the parties have been determined by a competent court.

(4) There shall be supplied to the Controller in the prescribed manner for being filed in the patent office copies of all agreements, licences and other documents affecting the title to any patent or any licence thereunder authenticated in the prescribed manner and also such other documents as may be prescribed relevant to the subject matter:

Provided that in the case of a licence granted under a patent, the Controller shall, if so requested by the patentee or licensee, take steps for securing that the terms of the licence are not disclosed to any person except under the order of a court.

(5) Except for the purposes of an application under sub-section (1) or of an application to rectify the register, a document in respect of which no entry has been made in the register under sub-section (3) shall not be admitted by the Controller or by any court as evidence of the title of any person to a patent or to a share or interest therein unless the Controller or the court, for reasons to be recorded in writing, otherwise directs.

70. Power of registered grantee or proprietor to deal with patent.—

Subject to the provisions contained in this Act relating to co-ownership of patents and subject also to any rights vested in any other person of which notice is entered in the register, the person or persons registered as grantee or proprietor of a patent shall have power to assign, grant licences under, or otherwise deal with, the patent and to give effectual receipts for any consideration for any such assignment, licence or dealing: Provided that any equities in respect of the patent may be enforced in like manner as in respect of any other movable property.

71. Rectification of register by Appellate Board.—

(1) The Appellate Board may, on the application of any person aggrieved—

(a) by the absence or omission from the register of any entry; or

(b) by any entry made in the register without sufficient cause; or

(c) by any entry wrongly remaining on the register; or

(d) by any error or defect in any entry in the register, make such order for the making, variation or deletion, of any entry therein as it may think fit.

(2) In any proceeding under this section the Appellate Board may decide any question that may be necessary or expedient to decide in connection with the rectification of the register.

(3) Notice of any application to the Appellate Board under this section shall be given in the prescribed manner to the Controller who shall be entitled to appear and be heard on the application, and shall appear if so directed by the Board.

(4) Any order of the Appellate Board under this section rectifying the register shall direct that notice of the rectification shall be served upon the Controller in the prescribed manner who shall upon receipt of such notice rectify the register accordingly.

72. Register to be open for inspection.—

(1) Subject to the provisions contained in this Act and any rules made thereunder, the register shall at all convenient times be open to inspection by the public; and certified copies, sealed with the seal of the patent office, of any entry in the register shall be given to any person requiring them on payment of the prescribed fee.

(2) The register shall be prima facie evidence of any matters required or authorised by or under this Act to be entered therein.

(3) If the record of particulars is kept in computer floppies or diskettes or in any other electronic form, sub-sections (1) and (2) shall be deemed to have been complied with if the public is given access to such computer floppies, diskettes or any other electronic form or printouts of such record of particulars for inspection.