TABLE OF CONTENTS
Articles
Citation.................................................................................................. 1 Interpretation......................................................................................... 2 Fees ....................................................................................................... 3-9 Forms .................................................................................................... 10-14 Title of Invention................................................................................... 15-16 Abstracts of Invention ........................................................................... 17 Description of Invention........................................................................ 18-22 Drawings ............................................................................................... 23-27 Claims ................................................................................................... 28-30 Correspondence..................................................................................... 31-39 Time Limits........................................................................................... 40-44 Joint Applicants..................................................................................... 45 Joint Inventors....................................................................................... 46-47 Convention Priority............................................................................... 48-50 Divisional Applications......................................................................... 51-56 Patent Agents ........................................................................................ 57-60 Clerical Errors ....................................................................................... 61 General .................................................................................................. 62-65 Schedule I Schedule II
The Minister in exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 98 of the Patents Act, 1981, makes the following regulations:
[Short Title]
1. These regulations may be cited as the Patents Regulations, 1984.
[Definitions]
2. In these regulations,
(a) “applicant” means a person for whom an application is made;
(b) “application” means an application for patent;
(c) “Office” means the Industrial Property Office;
(d) “section” unless qualified means a section of these regulations.
[Fees Set Out Schedule I]
3. The fees to be paid under the Act and these regulations are those fixed in Schedule I.
[Currency]
4. Payments shall be made in Barbadian currency, but the equivalent amount in a foreign currency that is convertible in Barbados may be accepted.
[Excess Fee]
5. When a fee paid by a person to the Director for any purpose exceeds the fee fixed by these regulations for that purpose by more than ten dollars, the person who paid the fee is entitled to be refunded the amount of excess less ten dollars.
[Fee Refund]
6. When a fee is paid to the Director by any person by mistake, for an application that is withdrawn before it is given an application number, or for a service that cannot be provided, the person who paid the fee is entitled to a refund of the fee less twenty-five dollars, if he claims the refund within one year of the payment of the fee.
[Refund of Advance Fee]
7. When a person pays a fee in advance for the grant of a patent, renewal of a patent or for any other purpose, he is entitled to a refund of that fee, less fifteen dollars, if he decides not to proceed with the application for the patent, renewal or other matter to the stage where the fee would be required.
[Payment of Fees]
8.—(1) Fees that are paid by cheque, bank draft or money order shall be forwarded to the Director and made payable to him.
(2) Fees may be paid by cash at the Office.
[Cheques]
9. A Payment of a fee by cheque may be accepted by the Director as being a payment of the fee when the cheque is received by him, but if the cheque is not paid when presented to the bank on which it is drawn and not made good within such time as the Director may fix, the acceptance of the fee is revoked and any thing done pursuant to the payment is void and, if appropriate, shall be so recorded in the register.
Forms
[Form Required]
[Schedule II]
10.—(1) In submitting a document to the Office for any purpose, the person submitting the document must use the form set out in Schedule II that is appropriate for the purpose, but the form may be modified in such manner as is necessary in the circumstances.
(2) In submitting a document to the office, one copy only of the document need be submitted.
[Replacing Documents]
11. If a document that is submitted to the Office differs significantly from the form in Schedule II intended to be used for the purpose of the submission, the Director may require that the document be replaced, within a time fixed by the Director, by one that conforms to the document required by Schedule II to be used for the purpose.
[Paper Requirements]
12.—(1) All applications, notices, statements, papers having representations affixed, or other documents authorised or required by the Act or these regulations to be made, left with or sent to the Director must be on strong, durable white paper and, except in the case of statutory documents and affidavits, must be written on one side of the paper only.
[Page Requirements]
13.—(1) The page of documents, other than drawings, must be numbered consecutively, preferably at the top of the page.
(2) Page margins must be at least 2 cm.
(3) Except for drawings, pages must be typed or printed, preferably with one and a half spacing or double spacing.
[Language of Documents]
14.—(1) An application must be in English.
(2) Until he is provided with a translation verified by affidavit, the Director may refuse to take cognisance of any document that is not in English.
[Title]
15. The title of an invention given in an application must be short and indicate the subject matter to which the invention relates.
[Words of Title]
16. The title of an invention must not include any trade mark, coined word or personal name.
[Abstracts]
17. The abstract of an invention must be a brief summary of the invention being disclosed, indicating its main features and use and the manner in which the invention differs from other inventions.
[Content of Description]
18.—(1) The description of an invention must state the title of the invention as it appears in the petition for patent and must
(a) specify the technical field to which the invention relates;
[Completeness]
19. A description in an application must be complete and not depend on any document not available to the public when the application was filed and must, without reference to other applications mentioned in the description, be sufficient to support the claims made in the application.
[Additions]
20. No matter contained in a document referred to in a description in an application and not available to the public when the application was filed may be added to the description after the application is filed.
[Identification]
21. A document referred to in a description in an application must be fully identified.
[Measurements]
22. Units of weights and measures in a description must be expressed in the metric system.
[Drawing Requirements]
23. All drawings in an application must satisfy the following requirements:
(a) the drawings are to be on white paper or other material suitable for reproduction;
[Photographs]
24. Photographs may be used instead of drawings in an application if the photographs clearly illustrate the invention and can be readily reproduced.
[No Drawing in Text]
25. No drawings or sketches shall be placed in the textual part of a disclosure in an application except to show graphic chemical formulae, mathematical formulae, symbols or equations.
[Folds, Breaks]
26. Drawings in an application must be free of such folds, breaks or creases as render them unsuitable for reproduction.
[Explanation of Drawings]
27. The description in the application shall briefly explain the drawings in the application.
[Claims Limited in Number]
28. No more claims shall be permitted in an application than are necessary to adequately protect the invention disclosed in the application.
[Numbering]
29. Claims must be numbered consecutively.
[Dependent Claims]
30.—(1) Claims may be made dependent upon preceding claims in order to add features to what is claimed in the preceding claims.
(2) A dependent claim must refer by number to the claim upon which it depends.
(3) A dependent claim may refer by number to not more than three preceding claims, and any claim so referred to must not itself refer by number to more than one other claim.
[Communicating with Office]
31.—(1) Applications, correspondence related thereto, and all communications intended for the Office shall be mailed to or deposited at the Industrial Property Office, Barbados.
(2) When communicating with the Office about an application, patent or licence, the correspondent shall identify the application, patent or licence clearly and give such information as the date of filing, kind of invention, name of applicant, patentee or licensee and registration number.
[Mode of Communication]
32. Applications shall be proceeded with, and other communication with the Office effected, by written correspondence and, unless the Director for good reason decides otherwise, no regard need be given to any other mode of communication with the Office.
[Communicating from Office]
33. All correspondence from the office to an applicant shall be sent
(a) to the patent agent of the applicant if one has been appointed in Barbados;
[Multiple Applicant]
34. When, in respect of an application, there is more than one applicant, correspondence shall be conducted
(a) with the patent agent who has been named to represent all the applicants;
[Limited Correspondents]
35. The Office shall, in accordance with regulations 33 and 34, conduct correspondence on an application with only one person.
[Address and Presumption]
36. A person who corresponds with the Office shall provide his full postal address, and any correspondence sent by the office to that person at the address so provided shall be deemed to be sent on the date that the records of the Office show it to have been sent.
[Address for Service]
37. A patentee, licensee and applicant for a licence must maintain an address for service in Barbados and send, with the prescribed fee, notice of that address to the Director for recording in the Register.
[Patent Agent]
38. When an application is filed for an applicant by an agent who is admitted to practice as a patent agent in Barbados, the agent is the representative of the applicant until such time as another agent is appointed.
[Service on Agent]
39. When a patent agent has been appointed to represent an applicant in respect of an application, the address of the agent is the address for service of the patentee after the patent is granted until such time as another address for service is recorded in respect of the patentee.
[Filing Time]
40. Any correspondence with the Office that is due on any day on which the office is closed for business shall be accepted as properly filed if it is received on the next day that the Office is open for business.
[Replacement of Correspondence]
41. If he is satisfied that mail to or from the office was sent but never received, the Director may accept or send out replacing correspondence; and the effective date of the replacing correspondence is the date that the Director determines should apply.
[Interruptions of Mail]
42. Where, by evidence satisfactory to the Director, a person proves that he was unable to do something within the time prescribed therefor by the Act or these regulations because of an interruption in mail service in Barbados or elsewhere, the Director may, before or after the expiration of the time for doing that thing, extend the time to make allowances for the period of the interruption in mail service.
[Fixing Time Limits]
43. The Director may, in respect of an application, fix a period of time for the doing of any thing for which no time limit is otherwise fixed by the Act or these regulations; and an application shall be deemed abandoned if, in respect of that application, the thing is not done within the time so fixed.
[Changing Time Limits]
44. When, by an affidavit setting forth the relevant facts, the Director is satisfied that any time fixed by these regulations for the doing of any thing should be extended in a particular case, the Director may, either before or after the expiration of the time, extend it for such period as he thinks suitable in the circumstances of the case.
[Structure re Withdrawal]
45. When an application that is filed by joint applicants is being proceeded with by one of the joint applicants, it may not be withdrawn under section 28 of the Act without the written permission of all the other joint applicants; and, if the application is in any danger, under section 91(5)(a) of the Act, of being presumed withdrawn, the Director shall notify all joint applicants at the latest addresses provided him for the joint applicants.
[Changes of Inventors’ Names]
46. When, after an application has been filed, it appears that the names of one or more inventors were improperly included in or omitted from the application, then, if the Director is satisfied, by an affidavit setting out all the relevant facts, that a correction should be made, the Director may delete or add, as the case requires, the names of those other inventors.
[Inventors Not Applying]
47. When an invention is made by several inventors, and one or more of them refuses to make an application in respect of the invention, or the whereabouts of one or more of the inventors cannot be ascertained after a diligent inquiry, the other inventors may make an application in respect of that invention; and, if the Director is satisfied, by an affidavit setting out the relevant facts, that the inventors missing from the application either refuse to make application or cannot be located, the inventors making the application are entitled to be granted a patent if all other requirements of the Act and these regulations are complied with.
[When Priority Claimed]
48. If a convention priority is requested in respect of an application, that is to say, a claim of priority under section 25 of the Act, or pursuant to an order under section 95 of the Act, in respect of the application, it may be claimed either at the time of filing the application or at some later time before the grant of patent, but not thereafter.
[Required Information]
49. When a convention priority is requested for an application, the applicant must state when and where an application for the invention was first filed, and what its application number was.
[Divisional Application]
50. If a convention priority is sought for a divisional application, it must be requested separately from any request made with respect to the original application.
[Requirements of Application]
51. When a divisional application is filed, the petition must identify the original application by its application number and date of filing and must identify any intermediate applications upon which divisional status is based.
[Single Inventive Concept]
52. Claims for a process, the product of that process, apparatus and means for carrying out the process, and the process of using the product shall be construed as relating to a single inventive concept.
[Improper Applications]
53. No divisional application may be filed after a patent has been granted in respect of the immediately preceding application upon which the divisional application is based.
[Proper Division]
54. A properly filed divisional application may itself be divided after the original application to which it relates has been issued for patent, if the division is made while the divisional application is still pending.
[Accorded Filing Date]
[Convention Priority Date]
[Licensing of Patent Agents]
57. The Director may license suitable persons to be patent agents for transacting business under the Act, and he shall record the names of licensed patent agents in the Register.
[Revocation and Restoration]
58.—(1) Upon proof to the Director’s satisfaction of the malfeasance or incapacity of a licensed patent agent, or on the non-payment of the annual fee for licensing a patent agent, the Director shall revoke the agent’s licence.
(2) After the licence of a patent agent has been revoked, the Director may restore the licence if he is satisfied that the reasons for revoking the licence in the first instance have been removed.
[Unlicensed Agent]
59. The Director shall have no dealings in respect of matters under the Act with an agent who is not licensed to act as a patent agent.
[Change of Agents]
60. When an applicant under an application revokes the appointment of an agent and, when necessary, replaces him with another agent, the applicant shall notify the Director of the change of agents and send the latest address of his agent to the Director.
[Correcting Errors]
61. A document relating to an application or patent may be corrected if the Director is satisfied that the document contains an error of a clerical nature and that its correction would involve no change of substance in the application or patent.
[Providing for Deficiencies]
[Unpaid Annual Fees] [Inquiries of Office]
64. The Director may acknowledge inquiries made to the Office, but the Director need not furnish any applicant or other person with information that would require a search of the public records of the Office, or to provide advice on matters concerning the interpretation of the Act or regulations, or concerning other questions of law.
[Director’s Certificate]
65.—(1) Subject to section 64, the Director may give a certificate regarding any entry, matter or thing that he is authorised or required by the Act or these regulations to make or do.
(2) A person who can show an interest in an entry, matter or thing for which he requires a certificate may, by an application in Form No. 8, request such a certificate from the Director, and the applicant need not disclose his interest unless required by the Director to do so.
SCHEDULE I
(Section 3)
$ For filing an application for a patent .................................................................. 300.00 For the grant of a patent...................................................................................... 300.00
For renewal of a patent:
before the 2nd anniversary of filing ................................................................... 200.00
| “ | “ | 3rd ....................................................................................................... | 300.00 |
| “ | “ | 4th ........................................................................................................ | 400.00 |
| “ | “ | 5th ........................................................................................................ | 500.00 |
| “ | “ | 6th ........................................................................................................ | 600.00 |
| “ | “ | 7th ........................................................................................................ | 700.00 |
| “ | “ | 8th ........................................................................................................ | 800.00 |
| “ | “ | 9th ........................................................................................................ | 900.00 |
| “ | “ | 10th ...................................................................................................... | 1000.00 |
| “ | “ | 11th ...................................................................................................... | 1100.00 |
| “ | “ | 12th ...................................................................................................... | 1200.00 |
| “ | “ | 13th ...................................................................................................... | 1300.00 |
| “ | “ | 14th ...................................................................................................... | 1400.00 |
| “ | “ | 15th ...................................................................................................... | 1500.00 |
| “ | “ | 16th ...................................................................................................... | 1600.00 |
| “ | “ | 17th ...................................................................................................... | 1700.00 |
| “ | “ | 18th ...................................................................................................... | 1800.00 |
“ “ 19th ...................................................................................................... 1900.00
| For making late payment of the annual fee ........................................................ | 100.00 |
| For preparation of an abstract under s.30(3) of the Act...................................... | 25.00 |
| For registration of a contract under s.39(3) and s.49(4) of the Act .................... | 200.00 |
| For requesting a statutory licence under s.62 of the Act .................................... | 1000.00 |
| For extracts or copies of records in the register |
under s.89(2) of the Act......................................................................................5.00 per page or
..................................................................................................................... part thereof For examining or making extracts from contracts on the register under s.89(3) of the Act......................................................................................4.00 per examination
..................................................................................................................... or extract For a copy of a patent ......................................................................................... 10.00 For a certified copy of a patent........................................................................... 25.00 For a statutory licence under s.63 of the Act...................................................... 200.00 For registration as a patent agent........................................................................ 375.00 For renewal of a registration as a patent agent ................................................... 375.00 For an extension of a patent................................................................................ 200.00 For the transfer of a statutory licence under s.70 ........................................................................................................... 200.00 For requesting that the Director extend the time limit for doing any thing............................................................................. 50.00 For recording an address for service of a patent, or a change of address for service of a patent or a licence.......................................................................................................... 50.00 For surrender of a patent..................................................................................... 50.00
SCHEDULE II
(Section 10)
(Section 22 of the Act)
FORM NO. 1
The grant of a patent is requested for the following invention:
TITLE OF INVENTION APPLICANT (S) (name (s) & address (es)) STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP
(may be filed separately) INVENTOR (S) (name(s) & address (es)) AGENT (if any—name & address) PRIORITY—(Identify foreign application if any on which priority is claimed) DIVISION—This application is a division of Application Number .................... (identify originating application) filed ...........…………………… SIGNATURE Dated— At—
(Section 21 of the Act)
FORM NO. 2
(Documentation Required)
PETITION (Use a separate sheet, see Form No. 1) ABSTRACT (s.21(c)) DESCRIPTION (s.21(2)(b)) DRAWINGS (s.21(2)(d)) CLAIMS (s.21(3)) FEES (s.21(1)(a)) see Schedule I Patent No. Date:
(Section 32 of the Act)
FORM NO. 3
The Industrial Property Office Barbados
Whereas a petition has been presented to the Director of the Industrial Property Office praying for the grant of a patent for a new and useful invention, the title and description of which are contained in the specification attached hereto, and whereas it has been determined that the requirements of the Patents Act of Barbados have been complied with,
Now therefore the present letters patent grant to the applicant whose ownership thereof is shown in the documents attached, and to any subsequent legal representatives of the applicant, all the benefits of the Act for a period of fifteen years from the filing date of the application, subject to the conditions contained in the Act and any adjudication of the High Court affecting those rights.
In testimony whereof this document bears the seal of the Office affixed to it at Bridgetown.
Granted this day of
in the year
Director Industrial Property Office
(Section 49 of the Act)
FORM NO. 4
I/We1……………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……. being the registered owner(s) of Patent No. 2 ............ hereby apply to register a licence-contract, (a copy of which is attached) pursuant to section 49 of the Act.3
Jointly submitted by the parties4 to the said licence-contract, being
...............……………………....... of…………………….......................... and
……………………...................... of………………………….......................
Dated this ....……………........ day of ......………………………......... 1984.
The Director Industrial Property Office
(Section 50(5) of the Act)
FORM NO. 5
By this document it is hereby acknowledged that an application for registration of a licence-contract identified below was made under section 49 of the Patents Act, 1981, and that the provisions of that section have been complied with.
Date of application for registration: Filed by: Respecting Patent Application No.
For an invention entitled Filed by Recorded in the Register on
or Patent No.
For an invention entitled Granted on Signed and sealed at .......................... This ............. day of .................. in the year .............…................. Director
Industrial Property Office.
(Section 53 of the Act)
FORM NO. 6
By this document it is hereby certified that the licence-contact identified below has been registered under section 53 of the Patents Act, and that the provisions of sections 49, 50 and 52 have been complied with.
The licence-contract relates to:
Patent Application No. For an invention entitled Filed by
Recorded in the register on
or to
Patent No. For an invention entitled Granted on To
Date of Registration of licence
Signed and sealed at .......................... This ............. day of ………............... in the year.................................
Director Industrial Property Office.
(Section 65 of the Act)
FORM NO. 7
In accordance with section 36 of the Patents Act I/We, the undersigned owner(s) of the patent identified below do hereby and to the extent hereunder stated surrender our rights in the said patent.
Patent No. ......................... Granted ..............….......... Title of Invention .................... *(a) I/We surrender the whole patent
*(b) I/We surrender claim(s) *(a) I further declare there have been no statutory licences granted for said patent *(b) A statutory licence has been granted in respect of the patent, but all the licensees
agree to this surrender, as is evident from the written consents attached hereto. Signed at ............................. this ............. day of ............... in the year ............................ Signature of patentee or agent
*Delete where inappropriate.
(Section 65)
FORM NO. 8
IN THE MATTER OF1 the Patents Act, 1981
I/We.......................................
(name(s) and address (es)) hereby request the Director to furnish me (us) with2 ............... Dated this ........... day of ................. 19....
3 ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 4 ………………………………………………………………………………………………
To the Director Industrial Property Office Bridgetown
Note:
Address. Made by the Minister this 17th day of April, 1984.
H.B. St. John Minister responsible for Industry