THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
[As amended by the Tribunals Reforms (Rationalisation and Conditions of Service) Ordinance, 2021]
CHAPTER 20 – PENALTIES
- 118. CONTRAVENTION OF SECRECY PROVISIONS RELATING TO CERTAIN INVENTIONS.
- 119. FALSIFICATION OF ENTRIES IN REGISTER, ETC.
- 120. UNAUTHORISED CLAIM OF PATENT RIGHTS.
- 121. WRONGFUL USE OF WORDS “PATENT OFFICE”.
- 122. REFUSAL OR FAILURE TO SUPPLY INFORMATION.
- 123. PRACTICE BY NON-REGISTERED PATENT AGENTS.
- 124. OFFENCES BY COMPANIES.
118. CONTRAVENTION OF SECRECY PROVISIONS RELATING TO CERTAIN INVENTIONS.
If any person fails to comply with any direction given under section 35 or makes or causes to be made an application for the grant of a patent in contravention of section 39 he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a’ term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.
119. FALSIFICATION OF ENTRIES IN REGISTER, ETC.
If any person makes, or causes to be made, a false entry in any register kept under this Act, or a writing falsely purporting to be a copy of an entry in such a register, or produces or tenders, or causes to be produced or tendered, in evidence any such writing knowing the entry or writing to be false, he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.
120. UNAUTHORISED CLAIM OF PATENT RIGHTS.
If any person falsely represents that any article sold by him is patented in India or is the subject of an application for a patent in India, he shall be punishable with fine which may extend to one lakh rupees.
Explanation 1.—
For the purposes of this section, a person shall be deemed to represent—
(a) that an article is patented in India if there is stamped, engraved or impressed on, or otherwise applied to, the article the word “patent” or “patented” or some other word expressing or implying that a patent for the article has been obtained in India;
(b) that an article is the subject of an application for a patent in India, if there are stamped, engraved or impressed on, or otherwise applied to, the article the words “patent applied for”, “patent pending”, or some other words implying that an application for a patent for the article has been made in India.
Explanation 2.—
The use of words “patent”, “patented”, “patent applied for”, “patent pending” or other words expressing or implying that an article is patented or that a patent has been applied for shall be deemed to refer to a patent in force in India, or to a pending application for a patent in India, as the case may be, unless there is an accompanying indication that the patent has been obtained or applied for in any country outside India.
121. WRONGFUL USE OF WORDS “PATENT OFFICE”.
If any person uses on his place of business or any document issued by him or otherwise the words “patent office” or any other words which would reasonably lead to the belief that his place of business is, or is officially connected with, the patent office, he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine, or with both.
122. REFUSAL OR FAILURE TO SUPPLY INFORMATION.
(1) If any person refuses or fails to furnish—
(a) to the Central Government any information which he is required to furnish under sub-section (5) of section 100;
(b) to the Controller any information or statement which he is required to furnish by or under section 146, he shall be punishable with fine which may extend to ten lakh rupees.
(2) If any person, being required to furnish any such information as is referred to in sub section (1), furnishes information or statement which is false, and which he either knows or has reason to believe to be false or does not believe to be true, he shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to six months, or with fine, or with both.
123. PRACTICE BY NON-REGISTERED PATENT AGENTS.
If any person contravenes the provisions of section 129, he shall be punishable with fine which may extend to one lakh rupees in the case of a first offence and five lakh rupees in the case of a second or subsequent offence.
124. OFFENCES BY COMPANIES.
(1) If the person committing an offence under this Act is a company, the company as well as every person in charge of, and responsible to, the company for the conduct of its business at the time of the commission of the offence shall be deemed to be guilty of the offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly:
Provided that nothing contained in this sub-section shall render any such person liable to any punishment if he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge or that he exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of such offence.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), where an offence under this Act has been committed by a company and it is proved that the offence has been committed with the consent or connivance of, or that the commission of the offence is attributable to any neglect on the part of any director, manager, secretary or other officer of the company, such director, manager, secretary or other officer shall also be deemed to be guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.
Explanation.
For the purposes of this section,—
(a) “company” means anybody corporate and includes a firm or other association of individuals; and
(b) “director”, in relation to a firm, means a partner in the firm.