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What you can change
A change to your submitted application is known as an amendment. There are 4 types of amendments you can make. Most amendments can be made for free, unless otherwise specified.
1. Updates to your personal details
This could be your address or phone number. You can change these details at any time.
2. Amendments to the specification (excluding the abstract) before examination starts
If you haven't already received your examination report, you can change your specification by making:
- Amendments in anticipation of the report — we won't check the amendments until we start examining your application
- Voluntary amendments — we'll check the amendments right away and let you know if you're allowed to make the changes. This change costs $250.
3. Amendments in response to an examination report
4. Voluntary amendments to a granted patent
If you want to make changes to a granted patent, there are strict rules you'll need to follow. This change costs $250. You may want to consider seeking the advice of a registered patent attorney.
How to amend your specification
You'll need to provide amendments in 3 steps.
1. Provide changes by substituting whole pages
When submitting the changes that you want to make, you'll need to do this one whole page at a time. You can't make changes on the old document.
2. Provide an additional copy of the new pages showing where the changes have been made
You'll need to submit an additional copy of the amended pages with tracked changes, so we can clearly see what updates have been made.
3. Summarise the changes in a Statement of Proposed Amendments
This is a list of all of the amendments you're proposing, numbered consecutively. This must be a separate document or on a separate page. You can use the template below to get you started.
If you choose to file further statements for this application, you should continue the consecutive numbering. This means that all amendments relating to this application will have a unique number, even if there are multiple rounds of amendments submitted.
Adding or deleting numbered paragraphs or pages from the description can cause confusion. You must follow these conventions:
- Where amendments require new paragraphs to be inserted, then the new paragraphs should be allocated the same number as the preceding paragraph followed by an alphabet letter starting with the letter 'a'.
For example, if 2 new paragraphs are inserted between paragraphs [0001] and [0002], then the new paragraph numbering between paragraphs [0001] and [0002] should be '[0001a] and [0001b]'.
- Where amendments require paragraphs to be deleted and the remaining paragraphs aren't renumbered, add a comment stating, 'paragraphs [number/s] intentionally deleted' in place of those deleted paragraphs.
For example, if 2 paragraphs after paragraph [0001] are to be deleted, then the new paragraph numbering should be '[0001], [paragraphs 0002-0003 intentionally deleted], [0004]'.
- Where additional pages are required because of amendments, then the extra pages should be allocated the same Arabic numeral number as the preceding page followed by an alphabet letter starting with letter 'a'.
For example, '1a, 1b, 1c'.
- If a page is deleted and the remaining pages aren't renumbered, then a blank page with the statement 'page intentionally left blank' should be inserted in place of the deleted page.
If amendments add or delete one or more claims, you must re-number the claim numbers and page numbers consecutively.
If amendments add or delete one or more drawings, you must re-number the drawing numbers and page numbers consecutively.
How to update your personal details
You can update you personal details at any time after you've filed your application. We'll make these changes to the official patent register. These updates are free.
This includes changes to:
- The applicant's name
- The inventor's name
- The title of the invention
- Contact details
- Address
- Agent details
- Add or delete an inventor.
