Article 54 Reference of question to the comptroller under section 37(1)
A reference under section 37(1) shall be made on Patents Form 2/77 and shall be accompanied by a copy thereof and a statement in duplicate setting out fully the nature of the question, the facts upon which the person making the reference relies and the order which he is seeking.
The comptroller shall send a copy of the reference and statement to every person who is not a party to the reference being—
a person who is shown on the register as having any right in or under the patent; or
a person who is alleged in the reference to be entitled to a right in or under the patent.
If any person who is sent a copy of the reference and statement under paragraph (2) above wishes to oppose the making of the order sought (“the opponent”), he shall, within the period of two months beginning on the date when such copies are sent to him, file in duplicate a counter-statement setting out fully the grounds of his opposition and the comptroller shall send a copy of the counter-statement to the person making the reference and to those recipients of the copy of the reference and statement who are not party to the counter-statement.
The person making the reference or any such recipient may, within the period of two months beginning on the date when the copy of the counter-statement is sent to him, file evidence in support of his case and shall send a copy of the evidence,—
in any case, to the opponent; and
in the case of evidence filed by such a recipient, to the person making the reference.
Within the period of two months after the copy of such evidence is sent to him or, if no such evidence is filed, within two months of the expiration of the time within which it might have been filed, the opponent may file evidence in support of his case and shall send a copy of that evidence to the person making the reference and to those recipients; and within the period of two months after the copy of the opponent’s evidence is sent to him, that person or any of those recipients may file further evidence confined to matters strictly in reply and shall send a copy of it to the persons mentioned in sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) of paragraph (4) above.
No further evidence shall be filed by any party except by leave or direction of the comptroller.
The comptroller may give such directions as he may think fit with regard to the subsequent procedure.