The salient features of the Patents Act,1970 were:

Elaborate definition of invention

No product patents for substances intended for use as food, drugs

and medicines including the product of chemical processes

Codification of certain inventions as non-patentable

Mandatory furnishing of information regarding foreign application

Adoption of absolute novelty criteria in case of publication

Expansion of the grounds for opposition to the grant of a patent

Exemption of certain categories of prior publication, prior

communication and prior use from anticipation

Provisions for secrecy of inventions relevant for defense purposes

Provision for use of inventions for the purpose of Government or for

research or instruction to pupils

Reduction in the term of patents relating to process in respect of

substances capable of being used as food or as medicine or drugs

Enlargement of the grounds for revocation of a patent