Patents Act 2004
| Act of Parliament | |
| Long title | An Act to amend the law relating to patents. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 2004 c. 16 |
| Territorial extent | The same as the Patents Act 1977[2] |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 22 July 2004 |
Status: Current legislation | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Text of the Patents Act 2004 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk. | |
The Patents Act 2004[1] (c. 16) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom relating to patent law.
Provisions
One of the purposes of the act is to give effect to the revised European Patent Convention which was agreed by Diplomatic Conference in November 2000.[3][4] It also amended employees' rights to compensation for inventions, to enable employee compensation "to be awarded in respect of all outstanding benefits deriving from a patented invention, removing the requirement for an employee to show that the patent itself is of outstanding benefit".[5]
The act also make it easier for small and medium size businesses to enforce their rights.[6] The act allows individuals to have access to an independent Patent Office "opinion" on the validity of their patent.[7]
Section 17 - Commencement etc
The following orders have been made under this section:
- The Patents Act 2004 (Commencement No. 1 and Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/2177 (C. 94))
- The Patents Act 2004 (Commencement No. 2 and Consequential, etc. and Transitional Provisions) Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/3205 (C. 140))
- The Patents Act 2004 (Commencement No. 3 and Transitional Provisions) Order 2005 (S.I. 2005/2471 (C. 105))
- The Patents Act 2004 (Commencement No. 4 and Transitional Provisions) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/3396 (C. 144))
See also
References
- ^ a b The citation of this act by this short title is authorised by section 18(1) of this act.
- ^ The Patents Act 2004, section 18(2)
- ^ Explanatory notes, paragraphs 3 and 6
- ^ "Yesterday in parliament". The Guardian. 8 June 2004. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
- ^ Intellectual Property Office, Manual of Patent Practice: Section 40: Compensation of employees for certain inventions, accessed 20 July 2022
- ^ "Yesterday in parliament". The Guardian. 15 July 2004. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
- ^ Walsh, Conal (14 November 2004). "Patently toothless law 'fails UK Plc'". The Obeserver. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
External links
- The Patents Act 2004, as amended from the National Archives.
- The Patents Act 2004, as originally enacted from the National Archives.
- Explanatory notes to the Patents Act 2004.