Patents Act, 1970
78. Power of Controller to correct clerical errors, etc.
(1) Without prejudice to the provisions contained in sections 57
and 59 as regards amendment of applications for patents or complete
specifications and subject to the provisions of section 44, the Controller may,
in accordance with the provisions of this section, correct any clerical error
in any patent or in any specification or other document filed in pursuance of
such application or in any application for a patent or any clerical error in
any matter which is entered in the register.
(2) A correction may be made in pursuance of this section either
upon a request in writing made by any person interested and accompanied by the
prescribed fee, or without such a request.
(3) Where the Controller proposes to make any such correction as
aforesaid otherwise than in pursuance of a request made under this section, he
shall give notice of the proposal to the patentee or the applicant for the
patent, as the case may be, and to any other person who appears to him to be
concerned, and shall give them an opportunity to be heard before making the
correction.
(4) Where a request is made under this section for the
correction of any error in a patent or application for a patent or any document
filed in pursuance of such an application, and it appears to the Controller
that the correction would materially alter the meaning or scope of the document
to which the request relates and ought not to be made without notice to persons
affected thereby, he shall require notice of the nature of the proposed
correction to be advertised in the prescribed manner.
(5) Within the prescribed time after any such advertisement as
aforesaid any person interested may give notice to the Controller of opposition
to the request, and, where such notice of opposition is given, the Controller
shall give notice thereof to the person by whom the request was made, and shall
give to him and to the opponent an opportunity to be heard before he decides
the case.