{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/patents-act-1977/section-21",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/patents-act-1977/section-21.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1977/37",
  "legislation_title": "Patents Act 1977",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/patents-act-1977",
  "path": "section/21",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "21",
  "heading": "Observations by third party on patentability.",
  "text": "(1) Where an application for a patent has been published but a patent has not been granted to the applicant, any other person may make observations in writing to the comptroller on the question whether the invention is a patentable invention, stating reasons for the observations, and the comptroller shall consider the observations in accordance with rules.\n(2) It is hereby declared that a person does not become a party to any proceedings under this Act before the comptroller by reason only that he makes observations under this section.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1977/37/section/21",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:24:17.133485+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}