Section 20:
Powers of Controller to make orders regarding substitution of applicants etc.
(1) If the
Controller is satisfied, on a claim made in the prescribed manner at any time before a patent has been
granted, that by virtue of any assignment or agreement in writing made by the applicant or one of the
applicants for the patent or by operation of law, the claimant would, if the patent were then granted be
entitled thereto or to the interest of the applicant therein, or to an undivided share of the patent or of that
interest, the Controller may, subject to the provisions of this section, direct that the application shall
proceed in the name of the claimant or in the names of the claimants and the applicant or the other joint
applicant or applicants, accordingly as the case may require.
(2) No such direction as aforesaid shall be given by virtue of any assignment or agreement made by
one of two or more joint applicants for a patent except with the consent of the other joint applicant or
applicants.
(3) No such direction as aforesaid shall be given by virtue of any assignment or agreement for the
assignment of the benefit of an invention unless--
(a) the invention is identified therein by reference to the number of the application for the patent;
or
(b) there is produced to the Controller an acknowledgment by the person by whom the
assignment or agreement was made that the assignment or agreement relates to the invention in
respect of which that application is made; or
(c) the rights of the claimant in respect of the invention have been finally established by the
decision of a court; or
(d) the Controller gives directions for enabling the application to proceed or for regulating the
manner in which it should be proceeded with under sub-section (5).
(4) Where one of two or more joint applicants for a patent dies at any time before the patent has been
granted, the Controller may, upon a request in that behalf made by the survivor or survivors, and with the
consent of the legal representative of the deceased, direct that the application shall proceed in the name of
the survivor or survivors alone.
(5) If any dispute arises between joint applicants for a patent whether or in what manner the
application should be proceeded with, the Controller may, upon application made to him in the prescribed
manner by any of the parties, and after giving to all parties concerned an opportunity to be heard, give
such directions as he thinks fit for enabling the application to proceed in the name of one or more of the
parties alone or for regulating the manner in which it should be proceeded with, or for both those
purposes, as the case may require.