Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Rules)

These Rules make the following amendments of substance to the Patents Rules 1990 (S.I. 1990/2384):

(a)

to give effect to provisions of the Patent Cooperation Treaty which—

(i)

modify provisions permitting two or more inventions to be treated as linked to form a single inventive concept (rule 3);

(ii)

permit an extension of the time-limit for the provision of translations of an application as originally filed and any amendment to it (rule 10);

(iii)

provide the time-limits applicable for payment of certain designation fees (rule 14);

(iv)

introduce a requirement for an additional late payment fee in respect of late payment of transmittal, basic, designation and search fees (rule 14);

(b)

to make changes in certain circumstances to the period within which an application for a patent is to comply with the Act (rule 5 and rule 9);

(c)

to shorten the period within which objections may be made to a request that a hearing be held in Scotland (rule 12);

(d)

to modify the application of the rule on alteration of time-limits to certain requests for extensions of time (rule 13);

(e)

to make provision for notification to the International Bureau of the intention to limit availability of a micro-organism to an expert to be treated as notification to the comptroller for the same purpose (rule 15).