Appointment of Place to be the Patent Office Pursuant to subsection 1 of section 5 of the Patents Act 1953, the Minister of Commerce hereby declares that as from the 1st day of August 1997, the following places are appointed to be the ``Patent Office'' under and for the purposes of the said Act: those rooms occupied and known as the ``Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand'' in Levin House, High Street, Lower Hutt; and those rooms occupied by and known as the ``Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand - Hearings Office'' on Level One, NGC House, 22 The Terrace, Wellington; and those rooms occupied by and known as the ``Document and Information Service Centre'' of the Ministry of Commerce at 17 Toop Street in Seaview, Lower Hutt. The business centre at Levin House will be responsible for all patent, trade mark and design examinations and related activity including technical advice and client services. It will operate from Levels Three, Four and Five of Levin House. The Hearings Office will focus on the ex parte and quasi-judicial aspects of the Patent Office's role. This includes hearings in relation to oppositions, applications for rectifications, revocation, extensions of term and amendments for specification. The Document and Information Service Centre will be responsible for the processing of applications for patents, trade marks and designs and document management functions for the Patent Office. The Service Centre will also provide a document management facility for other business units of the Ministry of Commerce. Dated this 21st day of July 1997. Hon. JOHN LUXTON, Minister of Commerce.