The Patents Rules 1995

Size and presentation of documents

20.—(1) All documents (including drawings) making up an application for a patent or replacing such documents shall be in the English language.

(2) The specification, abstract and any replacement sheet thereof shall be filed in duplicate.

(3) All documents referred to in paragraph (1) above shall be so presented as to permit of direct reproduction by photography, electrostatic processes, photo offset and micro-filming, in an unlimited number of copies. All sheets shall be free from cracks, creases and folds. Only one side of the sheet shall be used, except in the case of a request for the grant of a patent.

(4) All documents referred to in paragraph (1) above shall be on A4 paper (29.7 cm × 21 cm) which shall be pliable, strong, white, smooth, matt and durable. Each sheet (other than drawings) shall be used with its short sides at the top and bottom (upright position).

(5) The request for the grant of a patent and the description, claims, drawings and abstract shall each commence on a new sheet. The sheets shall be connected in such a way that they can easily be turned over, separated and joined together again.

(6) Subject to rule 18(1), the minimum margins shall be as follows:

top	2.0 cm
left side	2.5 cm
right side	2.0 cm
bottom	2.0 cm

(7) The margins of the documents making up the application and of any replacement documents must be completely blank.

(8) In the application, except in the drawings—

(a) all sheets in the request shall be numbered consecutively; and

(b) all other sheets shall be numbered consecutively as a separate series,

and all such numbering shall be in arabic numerals placed at the top of the sheet, in the middle, but not in the top margin.

(9) All sheets of drawings contained in the application shall be numbered consecutively as a separate series. Such numbering shall be in arabic numerals placed at the top of the sheet, in the middle, but not in the top margin.

(10) Every document (other than drawings) referred to in paragraph (1) above shall be typed or printed in a dark, indelible colour in at least 1½ line spacing and in characters of which the capital letters are not less than 0.21 cm high:

• Provided that Patents Form 1/77 may be completed in writing, and that graphic symbols and characters and chemical and mathematical formulae may be written or drawn, in a dark indelible colour.

(11) The request for the grant of a patent, the description, the claims and the abstract shall not contain drawings. The description, the claims and the abstract may contain chemical or mathematical formulae. The description and the abstract may contain tables. The claims may contain tables only if their subject-matter makes the use of tables desirable.

(12) In all documents referred to in paragraph (1) above units of weight and measures shall be expressed in terms of the metric system. If a different system is used they shall also be expressed in terms of the metric system. Temperatures shall be expressed in degrees Celsius. For the other physical values, the units recognised in international practice shall be used, for mathematical formulae the symbols in general use, and for chemical formulae the symbols, atomic weights and molecular formulae in general use shall be employed. In general, use should be made of technical terms, signs and symbols generally accepted in the field in question.

(13) If a formula or symbol is used in the specification a copy thereof, prepared in the same manner as drawings, shall be furnished if the comptroller so directs.

(14) The terminology and the signs shall be consistent throughout the application.

(15) All documents referred to in paragraph (1) above shall be reasonably free from deletions and other alterations, overwritings and interlineations and shall, in any event, be legible.