Patent Law and the Israel Patents Law, 5727-1967
Statutory framework
The Israel Patents Law, 5727-1967 is the primary statute; the Patents Regulations and Registrar practice supply procedure. The Registrar of Patents heads the Israel Patent Office and exercises examination, grant, opposition and disciplinary functions. A patent is granted for a product or process that is new, inventive and industrially applicable, subject to statutory exclusions. The 20-year term runs from the Israeli filing date, not the priority date, and maintenance fees keep it in force. For a PCT national phase, the international filing date is the Israeli filing date for term.
Institutions and sources
Examiners issue office actions; the Registrar decides contested matters; the District Court hears appeals; the Supreme Court reviews legal questions. The Patent Attorneys Regulations govern admission and conduct. The exam expects you to distinguish statute, regulations, practice and case law rather than quote one source for every rule.
Worked example
A client files a US application on 1 March 2020, claims Paris priority in Israel on 1 February 2021, and asks when the Israeli patent expires. The answer is 20 years from the Israeli filing date (1 February 2021), assuming fees are paid; the 2020 priority date affects novelty and prior art, not term. A PCT national phase retains the international filing date for the 20-year term.
Traps
Do not confuse priority date, filing date, publication date and grant date. Do not assume a PCT application is a worldwide patent. Do not ignore maintenance fees or the separate tracks for opposition and appeal.