Patents Act, 1970
50. Rights of co-owners of patents
(1) Where a patent is granted to two or more persons, each of
those persons shall, unless an agreement to the contrary is in force, be
entitled to an equal undivided share in the patent.
(2) Subject to the provisions contained in this section and in
section 51, where two or more persons are registered as grantee or proprietor
of a patent, then, unless an agreement to the contrary is in force, each of
those persons shall be entitled, by himself or his agents, to make, use,
exercise and sell the patented invention for his own benefit without accounting
to the other person or persons.
(3) Subject to the provisions contained in this section and in
section 51 and to any agreement for the time being in force, where two or more
persons are registered as grantee or proprietor of a patent, then, a license
under the patent shall not be granted and a share in the patent shall not be
assigned by one of such persons except with the consent of the other person or
persons.
(4) Where a patented article is sold by one of two or more
persons registered as grantee or proprietor of a patent, the purchaser and any
person claiming through him shall be entitled to deal with the article in the
same manner as if the article had been sold by a sole patentee.
(5) Subject to the provisions contained in this section, the
rules of law applicable to the ownership and devolution of movable property
generally shall apply in relation to patents, and nothing contained in
sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) shall affect the mutual rights or obligations
of trustees or of the legal representatives of a deceased person or their
rights or obligations as such.
(6) Nothing in this section shall affect the rights of the
assignees of a partial interest in a patent created before the commencement of
this Act.