Patent decision

BL number

O/311/02

Concerning rights in

PCT/GB00/02286

Hearing Officer

Mr R C Kennell

Decision date

23 July 2002

Person(s) or Company(s) involved

University of Cambridge v QXYZ Ltd;

Provisions discussed

PA.PR1995 rules 7(4), 14(4), 110(1)

Keywords

Evidence, Extensions of time

Related Decisions

None

Summary

In a preliminary oral decision, the hearing officer allowed a further three-month extension of the period for the referrers (also the applicants for the patent) in entitlement and inventorship proceedings to file their evidence; the period had already been extended once with the agreement of the parties by 19 days. The hearing officer was satisfied that the referrers had acted with sufficient diligence and that the desirability of discussing matters face-to-face with the named inventor, who was in India and not easily visited, outweighed any prejudice to the opponents.