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Patents Act, 1978 (Act No. 57 of 1978)

Regulations

The Patents Examination Regulations, 2003

3 - 8. Conditions for Enrolment

 

3. Only candidates who qualify in terms of at least one of the following criteria shall be entitled to enrol for the examinations:
(a) a candidate in possession of a technical or scientific diploma or degree from a university or technikon, involving at least a three- year course of study;
(b) a candidate in possession of any technical or scientific qualification, which in the opinion of the Board, is sufficient to enable the candidate to meet the requirements of the patent examinations; or
(c) any candidate who has adequate practical experience in a technical or scientific field, which in the opinion of the Board, is sufficient to enable the candidate to meet the requirements of the patent examinations.

 

4.
(a) Every candidate shall, on or before the thirty-first (31) day of January of the year in which he/she proposes to sit for any examination, apply to the Board, on a form to be obtained from the office, to be enrolled as a candidate;
(b) A candidate shall submit to the Board, on first enrolment, proof of his/her qualifications and an application for any exemption to which he/she may consider himself/herself entitled, stating his/her proposed course of study;
(c) A candidate may be exempted by the Board from interpretation of drawings in regulation 10 on the basis of any engineering or other appropriate qualification or practical experience which, in the opinion of the Board, is sufficient to enable the candidate to read and interpret drawings; and
(d) Late entries may be approved by the Board on good cause shown.

 

5. A candidate who fails to pass or obtain an exemption from all of the subjects in Group 1 of regulation 9 within a period of four calendar years after first enrolling for the examination or, in the case of a candidate who first enrolled for the examination before the publication of these regulations, within such further period as the Board may determine, shall not be allowed to enrol for any further examination of the Board except with the permission of the Board.

 

6. A candidate who fails to pass or obtain an exemption from all of the subjects in Group 2 of regulation 9 within a period of four calendar years after first enrolling for any Group 2 subject or, in the case of a candidate who first enrolled for any Group 2 subject before the publication of the these regulations, within such further period as the Board may determine, shall not be allowed to enrol for any further examination of the Board except with the permission of the Board.

 

7. Except with the permission of the Board, no candidate shall be allowed to enrol for more than four subjects in any one year.

 

8. Except where the Board otherwise, permits, a candidate shall have passed, or been exempted from all the subjects in Group 1 of regulation 9 before the candidate may enrol for subjects (e), (f) and (g) in regulation 9.