Patents
[CAP.400
27
(6) An appeal shall lie from any decision of the Registrar under
this section.
(As amended by Act No. t 8 of t 980)
24. (I) In this section the expression "competent authority" means
the Minister designated as a competent authority by the President in
the Gazette.
(2) Where, before or after the commencement of this Act. an
application for a patent has been made in respect of an invention.and
it appears to the Registrar that the invention is one of a class notified
to him by a competent authority as relevant for defence purposes. he
may give directions for prohibiting or restricting the publication of
information with respect to the invention, or the communication of
such information to any person or class of persons specified in the
directions. and while such directions are in force the application may,
subject to the directions, proceed up to the acceptance of the com
plete specification. but the acceptance shall not be advertised nor the
specification published. and no patent shall be granted in pursuance
of the application.
(3) Where the Registrar gives any such directions as aforesaid. he
shall give notice of the application and of the directions to the com
petent authority. and thereupon the following provisions shall have
effect, that is to say:
(a)
the competent authority shall. upon receipt of such notice.
consider whether the publication of the invention would be
prejudicial to the defence of the Republic and unless a
notice under paragraph (c) 'las previously been given by
that authority to the Registrar, shall reconsider that ques
tion before the expiration of nine mbnths from the date of
lodging of the application for the patent and at least once .n
every subsequent year;
(b) for the purpose aforesaid. the competent authority may. at
any time after the complete specification has been accepted
or, with the consent of the applicant, at any time before the
complete specification has been accepted. inspect the appli
cation and any documents furnished to the Registrar in con
nection therewith;
(c)
ifupon consideration of the invention at any time it appears
to the competent authority that the publication of the inven
tion would not, or would no longer, be prejudicial to the
defence of the Republic. that authority shall give notice to
the: Registrar to that effect;
(d) on the receipt of any such notice the Registrar shall revoke the
directions and may, subject to such conditions. if any, as he
thinks fit, extend the time for doing anything required or autho
rised to be done by or under this Act in connection with the
appl.cation, whether or not that time has previously expired.
Provisions for
secrecy of
cenain
inventions