The Patents Rules 1995

Request for information under section 118

92.—(1) A request under section 118 for information relating to any patent or application for a patent may be made—

(a) as to when a request for substantive examination has been filed or the prescribed period for doing so has expired without the request having been filed;

(b) as to when the specification of a patent or application for a patent has been published;

(c) as to when an application for a patent has been withdrawn, has been taken to be withdrawn, has been treated as having been withdrawn, has been refused or has been treated as having been refused;

(d) as to when a renewal fee has not been paid within the period prescribed for the purposes of section 25(3);

(e) as to when a renewal fee has been paid within the period of six months referred to in section 25(4);

(f) as to when a patent has ceased to have effect and/or an application for restoration of a patent has been filed;

(g) as to when an entry has been made in the register or an application has been made for the making of such entry;

(h) as to when any application or request is made or action taken involving an entry in the register or advertisement in the Journal, if the nature of the application, request or action is specified in the request; and

(i) as to when any document may be inspected in accordance with the provisions of rule 93 or 94.

(2) As regards information relating to any existing patent or existing application for a patent, a request may also be made—

(a) as to when a complete specification following a provisional specification has been filed or when the period of fifteen months from the date of the application has expired and a complete specification has not been filed;

(b) as to when a complete specification is or will be published, or when an application for a patent has become void, and

(c) as to when a patent has been sealed or when the time for requesting sealing has expired.

(3) Any such request shall be made on Patents Form 49/77 and a separate form shall be used in respect of each item of information required.

(4) In this rule, “existing patent” means a patent mentioned in section 127(2)(a) and (c) and “existing application” means an application mentioned in section 127(2)(b).