Certified Copy explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Chapters 19 and 21 of the Manual are the practical chapters that sit around every file: how to find out the status of an application, how to see and copy documents, how evidence is sworn, how exhibits are handled, when a hearing is public and how to authorise an agent. This article explains each in the order the Manual gives it, and notes what to check against the live rules.
The Manual is the Patent Office's guidance and does not have the force of law; the Patents Act, 1970 and the Patents Rules, 2003 as now in force prevail. The Office revises its manuals, so check the current version on ipindia.gov.in.
The Official Journal is published electronically every Friday. A person can ask on plain paper for dated information about an application or patent, and can inspect and copy public documents on Form 30 and the prescribed fee. Evidence before the Controller is normally by affidavit. An agent is authorised on Form 26 or a power of attorney within three months, or the application is not processed further.
Chapter 19: information and inspection
The Official Journal (19.02). The Manual says the Controller publishes the Journal electronically every Friday on the Office website. It is the place where publications, grants and the notices discussed in earlier articles appear. See sections 145 and 146.
Information on applications and patents (19.03). On a request on plain paper, with a separate request for each item, the Controller gives dated facts such as when a complete specification followed a provisional, when section 8 information was filed, when the application was published, when examination was requested, when the examination report issued, when an application was refused, when a patent was granted, when a renewal fee was paid, when the term expires, and when an entry was made in the register. The Manual adds two limits. The examiner's report to the Controller is not open to the public unless a court directs, and while most information is on the website, the website information is not sufficient for legal proceedings, for which the request route is available. Confidentiality of examiner reports is discussed in sections 143 and 144 in the series.
Inspection and copies (19.04). The Manual explains it as follows:
- After publication, the application with its complete and provisional specification, drawings and abstract may be inspected at the appropriate Patent Office; after grant, the same with related papers.
- A request for inspection is made on Form 30 with the prescribed fee.
- Copies of documents open to the public can be obtained on payment of the prescribed fee, and so can a certified copy; a certified copy with the Office seal is admitted in evidence in all courts and proceedings in place of the original.
- The Register of Patents can be inspected during working hours on a written application with the prescribed fee, and certified copies of entries are available.
- Certified copies are issued in the order requests are filed, and a faster supply route is available on the fee in the First Schedule.
The rules behind these are in rules 132 to 134. No fee amount is given here; use the First Schedule as substituted in 2024.
Annual report and the website (19.05 and 19.06). The Manual says the Office publishes an annual statistical report placed before Parliament, and describes the website's search system for granted patents, published applications and their status, the e-register, circulars, manuals and guidelines, the Act and Rules, decisions, ceased and lapsed patents, the list of registered patent agents, a mobile app and a video-conferencing link. The Manual gives the website address as it stood in 2019; use the Office's current official website.
If you need a certified copy for litigation or due diligence, or need the file history checked before a transaction, our legal consultation service can advise on what to ask for.
Chapter 21: affidavits, exhibits, hearings and agents
Affidavits (21.01). The Manual says that when the Controller so directs, evidence in proceedings under the Act is given by affidavit, and that he may take oral evidence instead or as well, and allow cross-examination on an affidavit. Practice points:
- Affidavits are confined to facts the deponent can prove of his own knowledge, except in interlocutory matters where statements of belief may be admitted with the grounds given.
- In India an affidavit is sworn before a court or a person authorised by law to receive evidence, or an officer empowered by a court to administer oaths. Outside India it is sworn before a diplomatic or consular officer, a notary public recognised by the Central Government, or a judge or magistrate of the place.
- Alterations and interlineations are authenticated by the initials of the person before whom it is sworn.
See rules 126 and 127.
Exhibits (21.02). A copy of each exhibit is supplied to the other party on request and at that party's expense; if copies cannot conveniently be made, the originals are left with the Controller for inspection by appointment, and originals are produced at the hearing if not already left.
Officers' duties (21.03). Patent Office staff may not furnish information on a matter dealt with under the Act, help prepare documents for filing, or conduct a search in the Office records, except as the Act or a written direction allows. The Manual's list names the Appellate Board among those who may direct; the Board has been abolished by the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021, and the Act as now in force prevails.
Hearings in public (21.04). A hearing of a dispute between two or more parties, after publication of the complete specification, is in public unless the Controller, after consulting the parties who appear, directs otherwise. See rule 139.
Power of attorney (21.05). The Manual says an agent is authorised on Form 26 or by a power of attorney within three months from the date of filing of the application or document, failing which no action is taken on it for further processing until the deficiency is removed. This agrees with rule 135. Service on the agent is service on the principal; the Office may still require the personal signature or presence of the party. See how to file Form 26.
Checklist table
| Need | What the Office provides | What you file or do |
|---|---|---|
| Date of an event in a file | Information on plain paper | One request for each item |
| See a published application | Inspection at the appropriate office | Form 30 with fee |
| Proof for court | Certified copy, admitted as evidence | Request with the prescribed fee |
| Sworn evidence | Affidavit confined to knowledge, sworn as the Manual describes | Properly sworn, authenticated alterations |
| Exhibits | Copies to the other side or inspection of originals | Supply on request; produce originals at hearing |
| Appoint an agent | Form 26 or power of attorney | File within three months of the application or document |
A worked example
Brightline Energy Ltd is in a dispute and needs proof of the date on which a competitor's patent was granted and when its renewal fee was paid. Its counsel makes a plain-paper request for each date and obtains a certified copy of the register entry, which is admitted in court in place of the original. In a related opposition, Brightline's engineer swears an affidavit in India before an authorised officer, confined to facts within his knowledge, and the exhibits are made available to the other side on request.
Common lapses
- Asking for several items in one information request, when separate requests are needed.
- Relying on the website printout where a certified copy is needed for legal proceedings.
- Affidavits that include opinion on contested matters with no grounds.
- Missing the three-month period for Form 26.
- Assuming a hearing is private when the specification has been published.
Need help with records and evidence?
Good file records make disputes shorter. If you need certified copies, a file review or help with affidavits and authority papers, see our legal consultation service.
Key takeaways
- The Journal is published electronically every Friday.
- Dated information is available on a plain-paper request, one item per request.
- Inspection is on Form 30, and a sealed certified copy is admitted in evidence.
- Evidence is by affidavit unless the Controller allows oral evidence.
- Form 26 or a power of attorney is due within three months, or processing stops.
Read next
- Chapter 1: the Manual, its status and what has changed since
- Chapter 18: Controller's powers, costs and review
- Rules 132 to 134: certified copies and information requests
- How to file Form 26
Disclaimer: Based on the manuals and guidelines published by the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks that are named in the article, as consulted on 4 October 2026. They are guidance and do not have the force of law; the Patents Act, 1970 and the Patents Rules, 2003 as amended (including the 2024 amendment rules) prevail, and the current versions on ipindia.gov.in should be checked. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.