Patents Act, 1992

Information about and inspection of patent applications and patents.

88.—(1) After publication of a patent application under section 28 the Controller shall, on a request's being made in the prescribed manner and on payment of the prescribed fee, give the person making the request such information as may be prescribed and permit him to inspect such documents, relating to the application or to any patent granted in pursuance of the application, as may be specified in the request subject, however, to any prescribed restrictions.

(2) Subject to subsection (3), until a patent application is published under section 28 , documents or information constituting or relating to the application shall not, without the consent of the applicant, be published or communicated to any person by the Controller.

(3) Subsection (2) shall not prevent the Controller from—

(a) sending the European Patent Office information which it is his duty to send that office under the European Patent Convention; or

(b) publishing or communicating any prescribed bibliographic information about an unpublished patent application; or

(c) giving information as to whether an unpublished patent application has been either withdrawn or is deemed to be withdrawn.