The salient features of the Patents Act, 1970 are:

• 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
• Provision for non-working as ground for compulsory licenses, licenses of right, and revocation of patents
• Additional powers to Central Government to use an invention for purposes of government including Government undertakings
• Prevention of abuse of patent rights by making restrictive conditions in license agreements/contract as void
• Provision for appeal to High Court on certain decisions of the Controller
• Provision for opening of branches of the Patent Office.