Amendment of the Patents Act 1977
17. In section 117 of that Act (correction of errors in patents and applications) after subsection (2) there shall be inserted—
“(3) Where the comptroller is requested to correct an error or mistake in a withdrawal of an application for a patent, and—
(a)the application was published under section 16 above; and
(b)details of the withdrawal were published by the comptroller;
the comptroller shall publish notice of such a request in the prescribed manner.
(4) Where the comptroller publishes a notice under subsection (3) above, the comptroller may only correct an error or mistake under subsection (1) above by order.”.