United Kingdom
The Patents Act 2004
| Year of current version: | 2004 |
|---|---|
| Date of Text (Enacted): | July 22, 2004 |
| Type of Text: | Main IP Laws: enacted by the Legislature |
| Subject Matter: | Patents (Inventions), Plant Variety Protection, Undisclosed Information (Trade Secrets) |
| Notes: | |
| Available Texts: | |
| English | |
| Related Legislation: | Amends |
| WIPO Lex No.: | GB136 |
Shortcuts



This Act amends the Patents Act 1977 ("the 1977 Act"), which is the statute governing the patents system in the UK. The purpose of the Act:
- to bring the UK patents system into line with the revised European Patent Convention
- to introduce into the 1977 Act some measures designed to assist in the enforcement of patent rights and in the resolution of patent disputes between patent proprietors and third parties
-to update the 1977 Act
It sets out the major amendments to the 1977 Act:
-Schedule 1 makes further amendments relating to international obligations.
-Schedule 2 makes minor and consequential changes to the 1977 Act.
-Schedule 3 lists the repealed provisions of the 1977 Act.