Patents Act, 1970
103. Reference to High Court of disputes as to use for
purposes of government
(1) Any dispute as to the exercise by the Central Government or
a person authorized by it of the powers conferred by section 100, or as to
terms for the use of an invention for the purposes of government thereunder or as
to the right of any person to receive any part of a payment made in pursuance
of sub-section (3) of that section or as to the amount of compensation payable
for the acquisition of an invention or a patent under section 102, may be
referred to the High Court by either party to the dispute in such manner as may
be prescribed by the rules of the High Court.
(2) In any proceedings under this section to which the Central
Government is a party, the Central Government may-
(a) if the patentee is a party to the proceedings,
petition by way of counter-claim for revocation of the patent on any ground
upon which a patent may be revoked under section 64; and
(b) whether a patentee is or is not a party to
the proceedings, put in issue the validity of the patent without petitioning
for its revocation.
(3) If in such proceedings as aforesaid any question arises
whether an invention has been recorded, tested or tried as is mentioned in
section 100, and the disclosure of any document regarding the invention, or of
any evidence of the test or trial thereof, would, in the opinion of the Central
Government, be prejudicial to the public interest, the disclosure may be made
confidentially to the advocate of the other party or to an independent expert
mutually agreed upon.
(4) In determining under this section any dispute between the
Central Government and any person as to terms for the use of an invention for
the purposes of government, the High Court shall have regard to any benefit or
compensation which that person or any person from whom he derives title, may
have received, or may be entitled to receive, directly or indirectly in respect
of the use of the invention in question for the purposes of government.
(5) In any proceedings under this section, the High Court may at
any time order the whole proceedings or any question or issue of fact arising
therein to be referred to an official referee, commissioner or an arbitrator on
such terms as the High Court may direct, and references to the High Court in
the foregoing provisions of this section shall be construed accordingly.
(6) Where the invention claimed in a patent was made by a person
who at time it was made was in the service of the Central Government or of a
State Government or was an employee of a government undertaking and the
subject-matter of the invention is certified by the relevant government or the
principal officer of the government undertaking to be connected with the work
done in the course of the normal duties of the government servant or employee
of the government undertaking, then, notwithstanding anything contained in this
section, any dispute of the nature referred to in sub-section (1) relating to
the invention shall be disposed of by the Central Government conformably to the
provisions of this section so far as may be applicable, but before doing so the
Central Government shall give an opportunity to the patentee and such other
parties as it considers have an interest in the matter to be heard.