Substitution of Applicants etc. :
Section 20 says that if the Controller is satisfied, on a claim made in prescribed manner at any time before a patent has been granted that by virtue of any assignment or agreement in writing made by the applicant or one of the applicants for the patent or by operation of law, the claimant would, if the patent were then granted, be entitled thereto or to the interest of the applicant therein, or to an undivided share of the patent or of that interest, the Controller may direct that the application shall proceed in the name of the claimant or in the names of the claimants and the applicant or the other joint applicant or applicants, accordingly as the case may be. No such direction shall however, be given by virtue of any assignment or agreement made by one of the two or more joint applicants for a patent except with the consent of the other joint applicant or applicants. Further, no such direction shall be given by virtue of any assignment or agreement for the assignment of the benefit of an invention unless:
(a) the invention is identified therein by reference to the number of the applications for the patent; or
(b) there is produced to the Controller an acknowledgement by the person by whom the assignment or agreement was made that the assignment or agreement relates to the invention in respect of which that application is made; or
(c) the rights of the claimant in respect of the invention have been finally established by the decision of court; or
(d) the Controller gives directions for enabling the application to proceed or for regulating the manner in which it should be proceeded with under sub-section (5).
Where one of two or more joint applicants for a patent dies at any time before the patent has been granted, the Controller may upon a request made by the survivor or survivors and with the consent of the legal representative of the deceased direct that the application shall proceed in the name of the survivor or survivors alone.
If any dispute arises between joint applicants for a patent whether or in what manner the application should be proceeded with, the Controller may upon an application made by any of the parties, and after giving to all parties concerned an opportunity of being heard, give such directions as he thinks fit for enabling the application to proceed in the name of one or more of the parties alone or for regulating the manner in which it should be proceeded with.