Section 10 (4) of The Patents Act, 1970
Section 10 (4) of The Patents Act, 1970
Section 10 (4) of The Patents Act, 1970
" ... every complete specification shall- fully and particularly describe the invention and its operation or use
and the method in which it is to be performed; disclose the best method of performing the invention which
is known to the applicant and for which he is entitled to claim protection..."
In order to obtain a patent, an applicant must fully and particularly describe the invention therein claimed in
a complete specification. The disclosure of the invention in a complete specification must be such that a
person skilled in the art may be able to perform the invention. This is possible only when an applicant
discloses the invention fully and particularly including the best method of performing the invention. The
Specification is a techno-legal document containing full scientific details of the invention and claims to the
patent rights. The Specification, thus, forms a crucial part of the Patent Application. It is mandatory on the
part of an applicant to disclose fully and particularly various features constituting the invention.
The Specification may be filed either as a provisional or as a complete specification. The specification
(provisional or complete) is to be submitted in Form-2 along with the Application in Form-1 and other
documents, in duplicate, along with the prescribed fee as given in the First Schedule of the Patents Act, 1970.
The requirement for an adequate disclosure of the invention in the specification ensures that the public
receives knowledge, know-how and research in return for the exclusionary or monopolistic rights that will be
granted to the inventor/applicant in an application for patent.
The relevance or say importance of the specification can be seen in the landmark judgement of the Supreme
Court in the case of Biswanath Prasad Radhey Shyam v. Hindustan Metal Industries1, where the court had
made reference to Arnold v. Bradbury2, to arrive at the principle that the proper way to construe a
specification is not to read the claims first and then see what the full description of the invention is,
accordingly the description of the invention needs to be read first, in order for the reader's mind may be
prepared for what it is, that the invention is to be claimed and also for the patentee that h e cannot claim
more that he desires to patent. From the above discussed case, it is well understood that the specification is
the important aspect of an invention. When the meaning of a term in a claim is not clear, the description will
be relied upon to understand the term in context of what is described in the specification. A complete
specification in whole is important for an invention.
Essential components of a complete specification are description, claims, drawings, abstract and sequence
listings, if any. All these essentials combine to form a complete specification. The goal behind the full
disclosure of the invention in the specification part is that a person skilled in the art may be able to perform
the invention or more preferably an ordinary person can able to understand the invention upto maximum
extent.
Function of the specification :
The patent specification is designed to convey the full disclosure, particularly including the best method of
performing the invention.
Contents of Specification: Section 10 of the Patents Act, 1970 , clearly defines the various contents of
specification:
The title should give a fair indication of the art or industry to which the invention relates. It should be brief,
free from fancy expressions, free from ambiguity and as precise and definite as possible but it need not go
into the details of the invention itself and should be normally within 15 words. It should verbally agree with
the title stated in application. The followings are not allowable in the title: Inventor's name; the word 'Patent';
words in other languages; the abbreviation "etc"; fancy words ,e.g. "Washwell Soap", "Universal Rest Easy
Patent Chair". The following titles do not appear to be objectionable: Improved folding chair; railwa y rail
chair; improvements in pneumatic tyres; motorcar differential gear; filaments for electric lamps; etc.
The description should preferably begin with a general statement of the invention so as to indicate briefly
the subject matter to which the invention relates, e.g. "This invention relates to .....................".Thereafter, the
advantages of the invention may be mentioned to bring out clearly the areas of application and preferable
use of the invention. The applicant may substantiate industrial applicability of the invention in this part.
Patent Abstract
The nature of the invention and technology domain is written in the summary of the invention. It also includes
main points of the detailed description of the process, machine, manufacture or composition of matter. The
advantages of the invention are discussed in the summary too. The summary represents the general idea of
the invention in a summarized form. The problems which existed previously and were identified in the
background of the invention are pointed out in the summary with their solutions.
Patent Drawings:
A number of figures with numeral labelling are described and specified in patent drawings. These
descriptions and specifications point out the patent claims of the invention. The invention is described visually
with the help of patent drawings. Drawings are made using structures – chemical or mechanical and charts
and graphs depending upon the technology. While submitting the drawing sheet, at the right and left top
corners of the sheet shall include name of an applicant and total number of drawing. Whereas, every drawing
sheet ends with a signature either of an applicant or the agent authorizes by the applicant at the right bottom
corner.
Patent Claims:
The most important part of the patent applications are patent claims. The subject matter of the invention
which distinguishes the invention from what is old is written in the claims. Patentability of an invention is
judged by the patent claims as it defines the scope of the invention. The major function of the patent claim
or independent patent claims is to clearly define the scope of protection granted. The patent claims must be
supported by the invention disclosed in the descriptive part of the patent drafting. The patent claims should
be drafted from a new page and each patent claim should be written in a new sentence. A reference numeral
is followed to mention the patent claim and to illustrate the patent drawings. However, the patent claims of
a patent specification must relate to the same invention.
Background of the invention contains references related to specific documents which are related to the
invention. The improvements needed by the invention should be discussed in the background of the
invention. Prior patent applications are identified and written in the background section of the patent
document. Key features of the current invention and prior art are compared and discussed.
Rule 9 of the Patents Rules, 2003 , clearly highlights the requirements while drafting the complete
specification. All documents and copies of the documents, except affidavits and drawings, filed with patent
office, shall –
a. be typewritten or printed in Hindi or English (unless otherwise directed or allowed by the Controller)
in large and legible characters not less than 0.28 centimetre high with deep indelible ink with lines
widely spaced not less than one and half spaced only upon one side of the paper;
b. be on such paper which is flexible, strong, white, smooth, non-shiny, and durable of size A4 of
approximately 29.7 centimetre by 21 centimetre with a margin of at least 4 centimetre on the top
and left hand part and 3 centimetre on the bottom and right hand part thereof;
c. be numbered in consecutive Arabic numerals in the centre of the bottom of the sheet; and
d. contain the numbering to every fifth line of each page of the description and each page of the claims
at right half of the left margin.
In case of submission of sequence listing, sub rule 3 of rule 9, in case, the application for patent discloses
sequence listing of nucleotides or amino acid sequences, the sequence listing of nucleotides or amino acid
sequences shall be filed in computer readable text format along with the application, and no print form of
the sequence listing of nucleotides or amino acid sequences is required to be given.
Conclusion
It is true to said that the Patent specification is the face of an invention. It helps in understanding the main
aspects of the invention and what an invention tries to say. The complete specification should be the
applicant's most complete attempt at describing and defining the invention. The complete specification
should generally be a self-contained document with respect to the invention. At most care is to taken when
drafting the complete specification and in the manner as defined relevant section and rule of the Patents
Act, 1970.
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