IPA patent purpose-of-the-manual — IP Australia Patent Manual of Practice and Procedure – 2.1 Purpose of the Manual

Also in this Chapter: 2.2 Navigating the Manual 2.3 Determining Changes to the Manual 2.4 Governance for Editing the Manual​​​​​​​ 2.5 Periodic Review and Maintenance In this Section Overview Purpose of The Manual Overview The Patent Manual of Practice and Procedure, also known as the Manual, is a reference document for patent examiners. It outlines the general principles and legal standards patent examiners are to apply during examination. It also includes authorised practices that apply to the searching and examination of national and international applications, as well as other associated actions. The Manual aims to provide information about our practices and procedures in a manner which is easy to find, understand, and apply. Purpose of The Manual The Manual is a reference document which aims to: Provide accurate and consistent content that is readily accessible and is in a format that enables users to readily apply the relevant information; Provide guidance on practices and procedures that achieve consistency of practice across examination sections; Distinguish practices and procedures from educational information about the Administration of the Patents Act and the Law as informed by relevant Court decisions; and Ensure that all information relevant to patent law and practice continues to be discoverable and accessible to all users. ​​​​​​​The Manual is a controlled document which is exclusively published in an electronic format and its accuracy can only be guaranteed when viewed electronically.