(1)This Act may be cited as the Patents Act 1977.
(2)This Act shall extend to the Isle of Man. subject to any modifications contained in an Order made by Her Majesty in Council, and accordingly, subject to any such order, references in this Act to the United Kingdom shall be construed as including references to the Isle of Man.
(3)For the purposes of this Act the territorial waters of the United Kingdom shall be treated as part of the United Kingdom.
(4)This Act applies to acts done in an area designated by order under section 1(7) of the [1964 c. 29.] Continental Shelf Act 1964, in connection with the exploration of the sea bed or subsoil or exploitation of their natural resources, as it applies to acts done in the United Kingdom.
(5)This Act (except sections 77(6), (7) and (9), 78(7) and (8), this subsection and the repeal of section 41 of the 1949 Act) shall come into operation on such day as may be appointed by the Secretary of State by order, and different days may be appointed under this subsection for different purposes.
(6)The consequential amendments in Schedule 5 shall have effect.
(7)Subject to the provisions of Schedule 4 to this Act, the enactments specified in Schedule 6 to this Act (which include certain enactments which were spent before the passing of this Act) are hereby repealed to the extent specified in column 3 of that Schedule.