We are currently developing a new site to host the Patent Manual of Practice and Procedure. The BETA version of this site is now available for you to review. The information and content displayed in the BETA site is only available for testing purposes. Do not use or reference the information in the BETA site when making any decisions or actions regarding IP rights.

2.4.4.2 Meaning of "Document"

Date Published

Section 7 provides that:

"... an invention is to be taken to be novel when compared with the prior art base unless it is not novel in the light of any one of the following kinds of information, each of which must be considered separately:

a) prior art information (other than that mentioned in paragraph (c)) made publicly available in a single document or through doing a single act;

b) prior art information (other than that mentioned in paragraph (c)) made publicly available in 2 or more related documents, or through doing 2 or more related acts, if the relationship between the documents or acts is such that a person skilled in the relevant art would treat them as a single source of that information;

c) prior art information contained in a single specification of the kind mentioned in subparagraph (b) (ii) of the definition of "prior art base" in Schedule 1."

"Document" as defined by sec 25 of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 includes:

a) any paper or other material on which there is writing;

b) any paper or other material on which there are marks, figures, symbols or perforations having a meaning for persons qualified to interpret them; and

c) any article or material from which sounds, images or writings are capable of being reproduced with or without the aid of any other article or device.

Examples of documents falling within the scope of paragraph c. above are tape recordings, CDs, floppy disks, computer data-banks and photographs.

Back to top