Patents Act, 1978 (Act No. 57 of 1978)Chapter V : Applications for patents28. Disputes as to rights in or to inventions or patents |
| (1) | Where a dispute arises between persons as to their rights to obtain a patent for or to make, use, exercise or dispose of an invention, or as to the right to or title in a patent, any such party may apply to the commissioner to decide the matter in dispute, and the commissioner shall decide the matter in dispute. |
| (2) | If the commissioner is satisfied that a person, not being obliged thereto, is unable or unwilling to exercise his right to participate in an application for a patent, the commissioner may order that person to execute an assignment, in order that the application may be made without such participation: Provided that where it appears to the commissioner to be just and equitable, he may order the payment of compensation to the non-participating person. |
| (3) | In any order declaring that a person has a right to the exclusion of any other person to apply for a patent, the commissioner may direct that such other person execute any deed of assignment that may be required and that such deed of assignment extend to countries outside the Republic. |