Verdrag tot samenwerking inzake octrooien

(1). The States party to this Treaty (hereinafter called “the Contracting States”) constitute a Union for cooperation in the filing, searching, and examination, of applications for the protection of inventions, and for rendering special technical services. The Union shall be known as the International Patent Cooperation Union.
(2). No provision of this Treaty shall be interpreted as diminishing the rights under the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property of any national or resident of any country party to that Convention.

For the purposes of this Treaty and the Regulations and unless expressly stated otherwise:
(i) “application” means an application for the protection of an invention; references to an “application” shall be construed as references to applications for patents for inventions, inventors' certificates, utility certificates, utility models, patents or certificates of addition, inventors' certificates of addition, and utility certificates of addition;
(ii) references to a “patent” shall be construed as references to patents for inventions, inventors' certificates, utility certificates, utility models, patents or certificates of addition, inventors' certificates of addition, and utility certificates of addition;
(iii) “national patent” means a patent granted by a national authority;
(iv) “regional patent” means a patent granted by a national or an intergovernmental authority having the power to grant patents effective in more than one State;
(v) “regional application” means an application for a regional patent;
(vi) references to a “national application” shall be construed as references to applications for national patents and regional patents, other than applications filed under this Treaty;
(vii) “international application” means an application filed under this Treaty;
(viii) references to an “application” shall be construed as references to international applications and national applications;
(ix) references to a “patent” shall be construed as references to national patents and regional patents;
(x) references to “national law” shall be construed as references to the national law of a Contracting State or, where a regional application or a regional patent is involved, to the treaty providing for the filing of regional applications or the granting of regional patents;
(xi) “priority date,” for the purposes of computing time limits, means: (a) where the international application contains a priority claim under Article 8, the filing date of the application whose priority is so claimed;
(b) where the international application contains several priority claims under Article 8, the filing date of the earliest application whose priority is so claimed;
(c) where the international application does not contain any priority claim under Article 8, the international filing date of such application;
(a) where the international application contains a priority claim under Article 8, the filing date of the application whose priority is so claimed;
(b) where the international application contains several priority claims under Article 8, the filing date of the earliest application whose priority is so claimed;
(c) where the international application does not contain any priority claim under Article 8, the international filing date of such application;
(xii) “national Office” means the government authority of a Contracting State entrusted with the granting of patents; references to a “national Office” shall be construed as referring also to any intergovernmental authority which several States have entrusted with the task of granting regional patents, provided that at least one of those States is a Contracting State, and provided that the said States have authorized that authority to assume the obligations and exercise the powers which this Treaty and the Regulations provide for in respect of national Offices;
(xiii) “designated Office” means the national Office of or acting for the State designated by the applicant under Chapter I of this Treaty;
(xiv) “elected Office” means the national Office of or acting for the State elected by the applicant under Chapter II of this Treaty;
(xv) “receiving Office” means the national Office or the intergovernmental organization with which the international application has been filed;
(xvi) “Union” means the International Patent Cooperation Union;
(xvii) “Assembly” means the Assembly of the Union;
(xviii) “Organization” means the World Intellectual Property Organization;
(xix) “International Bureau” means the International Bureau of the Organization and, as long as it subsists, the United International Bureaux for the Protection of Intellectual Property (BIRPI);
(xx) “Director General” means the Director General of the Organization and, as long as BIRPI subsists, the Director of BIRPI.

(1). Applications for the protection of inventions in any of the Contracting States may be filed as international applications under this Treaty.
(2). An international application shall contain, as specified in this Treaty and the Regulations, a request, a description, one or more claims one or more drawings (where required), and an abstract.
(3). The abstract merely serves the purpose of technical information and cannot be taken into account for any other purpose, particularly not for the purpose of interpreting the scope of the protection sought.
(4). The international application shall:
(i) be in a prescribed language;
(ii) comply with the prescribed physical requirements;
(iii) comply with the prescribed requirement of unity of invention;
(iv) be subject to the payment of the prescribed fees.

(1). The request shall contain:
(i) a petition to the effect that the international application be processed according to this Treaty;
(ii) the designation of the Contracting State or States in which protection for the invention is desired on the basis of the international application (“designated States”); if for any designated State a regional patent is available and the applicant wishes to obtain a regional patent rather than a national patent, the request shall so indicate; if, under a treaty concerning a regional patent, the applicant cannot limit his application to certain of the States party to that treaty, designation of one of those States and the indication of the wish to obtain the regional patent shall be treated as designation of all the States party to that treaty; if, under the national law of the designated State, the designation of that State has the effect of an application for a regional patent, the designation of the said State shall be treated as an indication of the wish to obtain the regional patent;
(iii) the name of and other prescribed data concerning the applicant and the agent (if any);
(iv) the title of the invention;
(v) the name of and other prescribed data concerning the inventor where the national law of at least one of the designated States requires that these indications be furnished at the time of filing a national application. Otherwise, the said indications may be furnished either in the request or in separate notices addressed to each designated Office whose national law requires the furnishing of the said indications but allows that they be furnished at a time later than that of the filing of a national application.
(2). Every designation shall be subject to the payment of the prescribed fee within the prescribed time limit.
(3). Unless the applicant asks for any of the other kinds of protection referred to in Article 43, designation shall mean that the desired protection consists of the grant of a patent by or for the designated State. For the purposes of this paragraph, Article 2(ii) shall not apply.
(4). Failure to indicate in the request the name and other prescribed data concerning the inventor shall have no consequence in any designated State whose national law requires the furnishing of the said indications but allows that they be furnished at a time later than that of the filing of a national application. Failure to furnish the said indications in a separate notice shall have no consequence in any designated State whose national law does not require the furnishing of the said indications.

The description shall disclose the invention in a manner sufficiently clear and complete for the invention to be carried out by a person skilled in the art.

The claim or claims shall define the matter for which protection is sought. Claims shall be clear and concise. They shall be fully supported by the description.

(1). Subject to the provisions of paragraph (2)(ii), drawings shall be required when they are necessary for the understanding of the invention.
(2). Where, without being necessary for the understanding of the invention, the nature of the invention admits of illustration by drawings:
(i) the applicant may include such drawings in the international application when filed,
(ii) any designated Office may require that the applicant file such drawings with it within the prescribed time limit.

(1). The international application may contain a declaration, as prescribed in the Regulations, claiming the priority of one or more earlier applications filed in or for any country party to the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property.
(2). (a) Subject to the provisions of subparagraph (b), the conditions for, and the effect of, any priority claim declared under paragraph (1) shall be as provided in Article 4 of the Stockholm Act of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property.
(b) The international application for which the priority of one or more earlier applications filed in or for a Contracting State is claimed may contain the designation of that State. Where, in the international application, the priority of one or more national applications filed in or for a designated State is claimed, or where the priority of an international application having designated only one State is claimed, the conditions for, and the effect of, the priority claim in that State shall be governed by the national law of that State.

(1). Any resident or national of a Contracting State may file an international application.
(2). The Assembly may decide to allow the residents and the nationals of any country party to the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property which is not party to this Treaty to file international applications.
(3). The concepts of residence and nationality, and the application of those concepts in cases where there are several applicants or where the applicants are not the same for all the designated States, are defined in the Regulations.

The international application shall be filed with the prescribed receiving Office, which will check and process it as provided in this Treaty and the Regulations.

(1). The receiving Office shall accord as the international filing date the date of receipt of the international application, provided that that Office has found that, at the time of receipt:
(i) the applicant does not obviously lack, for reasons of residence or nationality, the right to file an international application with the receiving Office,
(ii) the international application is in the prescribed language,
(iii) the international application contains at least the following elements: (a) an indication that it is intended as an international application,
(b) the designation of at least one Contracting State,
(c) the name of the applicant, as prescribed,
(d) a part which on the face of it appears to be a description,
(e) a part which on the face of it appears to be a claim or claims.
(a) an indication that it is intended as an international application,
(b) the designation of at least one Contracting State,
(c) the name of the applicant, as prescribed,
(d) a part which on the face of it appears to be a description,
(e) a part which on the face of it appears to be a claim or claims.
(2). (a) If the receiving Office finds that the international application did not, at the time of receipt, fulfill the requirements listed in paragraph (1), it shall, as provided in the Regulations, invite the applicant to file the required correction.
(b) If the applicant complies with the invitation, as provided in the Regulations, the receiving Office shall accord as the international filing date the date of receipt of the required correction.
(3). Subject to Article 64(4), any international application fulfilling the requirements listed in items (i) to (iii) of paragraph (1) and accorded an international filing date shall have the effect of a regular national application in each designated State as of the international filing date, which date shall be considered to be the actual filing date in each designated State.
(4). Any international application fulfilling the requirements listed in items (i) to (iii) of paragraph (1) shall be equivalent to a regular national filing within the meaning of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property.

(1). One copy of the international application shall be kept by the receiving Office (“home copy”), one copy (“record copy”) shall be transmitted to the International Bureau, and another copy (“search copy”) shall be transmitted to the competent International Searching Authority referred to in Article 16, as provided in the Regulations.
(2). The record copy shall be considered the true copy of the international application.
(3). The international application shall be considered withdrawn if the record copy has not been received by the international Bureau within the prescribed time limit.

(1). Any designated Office may ask the International Bureau to transmit to it a copy of the international application prior to the communication provided for in Article 20, and the International Bureau shall transmit such copy to the designated Office as soon as possible after the expiration of one year from the priority date.
(2). (a) The applicant may, at any time, transmit a copy of his international application to any designated Office.
(b) The applicant may, at any time, ask the International Bureau to transmit a copy of his international application to any designated Office, and the International Bureau shall transmit such copy to the designated Office as soon as possible.
(c) Any national Office may notify the International Bureau that it does not wish to receive copies as provided for in subparagraph (b), in which case that subparagraph shall not be applicable in respect of that Office.

(1). (a) The receiving Office shall check whether the international application contains any of the following defects, that is to say: (i) it is not signed as provided in the Regulations;
(ii) it does not contain the prescribed indications concerning the applicant;
(iii) it does not contain a title;
(iv) it does not contain an abstract;
(v) it does not comply to the extent provided in the Regulations with the prescribed physical requirements.
(i) it is not signed as provided in the Regulations;
(ii) it does not contain the prescribed indications concerning the applicant;
(iii) it does not contain a title;
(iv) it does not contain an abstract;
(v) it does not comply to the extent provided in the Regulations with the prescribed physical requirements.
(b) If the receiving Office finds any of the said defects, it shall invite the applicant to correct the international application within the prescribed time limit, failing which that application shall be considered withdrawn and the receiving Office shall so declare.
(2). If the international application refers to drawings which, in fact, are not included in that application, the receiving Office shall notify the applicant accordingly and he may furnish them within the prescribed time limit and, if he does, the international filing date shall be the date on which the drawings are received by the receiving Office. Otherwise, any reference to the said drawings shall be considered non-existent.
(3). (a) If the receiving Office finds that, within the prescribed time limits, the fees prescribed under Article 3 (4) (iv) have not been paid, or no fee prescribed under Article 4 (2) has been paid in respect of any of the designated States, the international application shall be considered withdrawn and the receiving Office shall so declare.
(b) If the receiving Office finds that the fee prescribed under Article 4 (2) has been paid in respect of one or more (but less than all) designated States within the prescribed time limit, the designation of those States in respect of which it has not been paid within the prescribed time limit shall be considered withdrawn and the receiving Office shall so declare.
(4). If, after having accorded an international filing date to the international application, the receiving Office finds, within the prescribed time limit, that any of the requirements listed in items (i) to (iii) of Article 11 (1) was not complied with at that date, the said application shall be considered withdrawn and the receiving Office shall so declare.

(1). Each international application shall be the subject of international search.
(2). The objective of the international search is to discover relevant prior art.
(3). International search shall be made on the basis of the claims, with due regard to the description and the drawings (if any).
(4). The International Searching Authority referred to in Article 16 shall endeavor to discover as much of the relevant prior art as its facilities permit, and shall, in any case, consult the documentation specified in the Regulations.
(5). (a) If the national law of the Contracting State so permits, the applicant who files a national application with the national Office of or acting for such State may, subject to the conditions provided for in such law, request that a search similar to an international search (“international-type search”) be carried out on such application.
(b) If the national law of the Contracting State so permits, the national Office of or acting for such State may subject any-national application filed with it to an international-type search.
(c) The international-type search shall be carried out by the International Searching Authority referred to in Article 16 which would be competent for an international search if the national application were an international application and were filed with the Office referred to in subparagraphs (a) and (b). If the national application is in a language which the International Searching Authority considers it is not equipped to handle, the international-type search shall be carried out on a translation prepared by the applicant in a language prescribed for international applications and which the International Searching Authority has undertaken to accept for international applications. The national application and the translation, when required, shall be presented in the form prescribed for international applications.

(1). International search shall be carried out by an International Searching Authority, which may be either a national Office or an intergovernmental organization, such as the International Patent Institute, whose tasks include the establishing of documentary search reports on prior art with respect to inventions which are the subject of applications.
(2). If, pending the establishment of a single International Searching Authority, there are several International Searching Authorities, each receiving Office shall, in accordance with the provisions of the applicable agreement referred to in paragraph (3) (b), specify the International Searching Authority or Authorities competent for the searching of international applications filed with such Office.
(3). (a) International Searching Authorities shall be appointed by the Assembly. Any national Office and any intergovernmental organization satisfying the requirements referred to in subparagraph (c) may be appointed as International Searching Authority.
(b) Appointment shall be conditional on the consent of the national Office or intergovernmental organization to be appointed and the conclusion of an agreement, subject to approval by the Assembly, between such Office or organization and the International Bureau. The agreement shall specify the rights and obligations of the parties, in particular, the formal undertaking by the said Office or organization to apply and observe all the common rules of international search.
(c) The Regulations prescribe the minimum requirements, particularly as to manpower and documentation, which any Office or organization must satisfy before it can be appointed and must continue to satisfy while it remains appointed.
(d) Appointment shall be for a fixed period of time and may be extended for further periods.
(e) Before the Assembly makes a decision on the appointment of any national Office or intergovernmental organization, or on the extension of its appointment, or before it allows any such appointment to lapse, the Assembly shall hear the interested Office or organization and seek the advice of the Committee for Technical Cooperation referred to in Article 56 once that Committee has been established.

(1). Procedure before the International Searching Authority shall be governed by the provisions of this Treaty, the Regulations, and the agreement which the International Bureau shall conclude, subject to this Treaty and the Regulations, with the said Authority.
(2). (a) If the International Searching Authority considers (i) that the international application relates to a subject matter which the International Searching Authority is not required, under the Regulations, to search, and in the particular case decides not to search, or
(ii) that the description, the claims, or the drawings, fail to comply with the prescribed requirements to such an extent that a meaningful search could not be carried out, the said Authority shall so declare and shall notify the applicant and the International Bureau that no international search report will be established.
(i) that the international application relates to a subject matter which the International Searching Authority is not required, under the Regulations, to search, and in the particular case decides not to search, or
(ii) that the description, the claims, or the drawings, fail to comply with the prescribed requirements to such an extent that a meaningful search could not be carried out,
(b) If any of the situations referred to in subparagraph (a) is found to exist in connection with certain claims only, the international search report shall so indicate in respect of such claims, whereas, for the other claims, the said report shall be established as provided in Article 18.
(3). (a) If the International Searching Authority considers that the international application does not comply with the requirement of unity of invention as set forth in the Regulations, it shall invite the applicant to pay additional fees. The International Searching Authority shall establish the international search report on those parts of the international application which relate to the invention first mentioned in the claims (“main invention”) and, provided the required additional fees have been paid within the prescribed time limit, on those parts of the international application which relate to inventions in respect of which the said fees were paid.
(b) The national law of any designated State may provide that, where the national Office of that State finds the invitation, referred to in paragraph(a), of the International Searching Authority justified and where the applicant has not paid all additional fees, those parts of the international application which consequently have not been searched shall, as far as effects in that State are concerned, be considered withdrawn unless a special fee is paid by the applicant to the national Office of that State.

(1). The international search report shall be established within the prescribed time limit and in the prescribed form.
(2). The international search report shall, as soon as it has been established, be transmitted by the International Searching Authority to the applicant and the International Bureau.
(3). The international search report or the declaration referred to in Article 17 (2) (a) shall be translated as provided in the Regulations. The translations shall be prepared by or under the responsibility of the International Bureau.

(1). The applicant shall, after having received the international search report, be entitled to one opportunity to amend the claims of the international application by filing amendments with the International Bureau within the prescribed time limit. He may, at the same time, file a brief statement, as provided in the Regulations, explaining the amendments and indicating any impact that such amendments might have on the description and the drawings.
(2). The amendments shall not go beyond the disclosure in the international application as filed.
(3). If the national law of any designated State permits amendments to go beyond the said disclosure, failure to comply with paragraph (2) shall have no consequence in that State.

(1). (a) The international application, together with the international search report (including any indication referred to in Article 17 (2) (b)) or the declaration referred to in Article 17 (2) (a), shall be communicated to each designated Office, as provided in the Regulations, unless the designated Office waives such requirement in its entirety or in part.
(b) The communication shall include the translation (as prescribed) of the said report or declaration.
(2). If the claims have been amended by virtue of Article 19 (1), the communication shall either contain the full text of the claims both as filed and as amended or shall contain the full text of the claims as filed and specify the amendments, and shall include the statement, if any, referred to in Article 19 (1).
(3). At the request of the designated Office or the applicant, the International Searching Authority shall send to the said Office or the applicant, respectively, copies of the documents cited in the international search report, as provided in the Regulations.

(1). The International Bureau shall publish international applications.
(2). (a) Subject to the exceptions provided for in subparagraph (b) and in Article 64 (3), the international publication of the international application shall be effected promptly after the expiration of 18 months from the priority date of that application.
(b) The applicant may ask the International Bureau to publish his international application any time before the expiration of the time limit referred to in subparagraph (a). The International Bureau shall proceed accordingly, as provided in the Regulations.
(3). The international search report or the declaration referred to in Article 17 (2) (a) shall be published as prescribed in the Regulations.
(4). The language and form of the international publication and other details are governed by the Regulations.
(5). There shall be no international publication if the international application is withdrawn or is considered withdrawn before the technical preparations for publication have been completed.
(6). If the international application contains expressions or drawings which, in the opinion of the International Bureau, are contrary to morality or public order, or if, in its opinion, the international application contains disparaging statements as defined in the Regulations, it may omit such expressions, drawings, and statements, from its publications, indicating the place and number of words or drawings omitted, and furnishing, upon request, individual copies of the passages omitted.

1. The applicant shall furnish a copy of the international application (unless the communication provided for in Article 20 has already taken place) and a translation thereof (as prescribed), and pay the national fee (if any), to each designated Office not later than at the expiration of 30 months from the priority date. Where the national law of the designated State requires the indication of the name of and other prescribed data concerning the inventor but allows that these indications be furnished at a time later than that of the filing of a national application, the applicant shall, unless they were contained in the request, furnish the said indications to the national Office of or acting for the State not later than at the expiration of 30 months from the priority date.
2. Where the International Searching Authority makes a declaration, under Article 17 (2)(a), that no international search report will be established, the time limit for performing the acts referred to in paragraph (1) of this Article shall be the same as that provided for in paragraph (1).
3. Any national law may, for performing the acts referred to in paragraphs (1) or (2), fix time limits which expire later than the time limit provided for in those paragraphs.

(1). No designated Office shall process or examine the international application prior to the expiration of the applicable time limit under Article 22.
(2). Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1), any designated Office may, on the express request of the applicant, process or examine the international application at any time.

(1). Subject, in case (ii) below, to the provisions of Article 25, the effect of the international application provided for in Article 11 (3) shall cease in any designated State with the same consequences as the withdrawal of any national application in that State:
(i) if the applicant withdraws his international application or the designation of that State;
(ii) if the international application is considered withdrawn by virtue of Articles 12(3), 14(1) (b), 14(3) (a), or 14 (4), or if the designation of that State is considered withdrawn by virtue of Article 14 (3) (b);
(iii) if the applicant fails to perform the acts referred to in Article 22 within the applicable time limit.
(2). Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1), any designated Office may maintain the effect provided for in Article 11 (3) even where such effect is not required to be maintained by virtue of Article 25 (2).

(1). (a) Where the receiving Office has refused to accord an international filing date or has declared that the international application is considered withdrawn, or where the International Bureau has made a finding under Article 12 (3), the International Bureau shall promptly send, at the request of the applicant, copies of any document in the file to any of the designated Offices named by the applicant.
(b) Where the receiving Office has declared that the designation of any given State is considered withdrawn, the International Bureau shall promptly send, at the request of the applicant, copies of any document in the file to the national Office of such State.
(c) The request under subparagraphs (a) or (b) shall be presented within the prescribed time limit.
(2). (a) Subject to the provisions of subparagraph (b), each designated Office shall, provided that the national fee (if any) has been paid and the appropriate translation (as prescribed) has been furnished within the prescribed time limit, decide whether the refusal, declaration, or finding, referred to in paragraph (1) was justified under the provisions of this Treaty and the Regulations, and, if it finds that the refusal or declaration was the result of an error or omission on the part of the receiving Office or that the finding was the result of an error or omission on the part of the International Bureau, it shall, as far as effects in the State of the designated Office are concerned, treat the international application as if such error or omission had not occurred.
(b) Where the record copy has reached the International Bureau after the expiration of the time limit prescribed under Article 12 (3) on account of any error or omission on the part of the applicant, the provisions of subparagraph (a) shall apply only under the circumstances referred to in Article 48 (2).

No designated Office shall reject an international application on the grounds of non-compliance with the requirements of this Treaty and the Regulations without first giving the applicant the opportunity to correct the said application to the extent and according to the procedure provided by the national law for the same or comparable situations in respect of national applications.

(1). No national law shall require compliance with requirements relating to the form or contents of the international application different from or additional to those which are provided for in this Treaty and the Regulations.
(2). The provisions of paragraph (1) neither affect the application of the provisions of Article 7 (2) nor preclude any national law from requiring, once the processing of the international application has started in the designated Office, the furnishing:
(i) when the applicant is a legal entity, of the name of an officer entitled to represent such legal entity,
(ii) of documents not part of the international application but which constitute proof of allegations or statements made in that application, including the confirmation of the international application by the signature of the applicant when that application, as filed, was signed by his representative or agent.
(3). Where the applicant, for the purposes of any designated State, is not qualified according to the national law of that State to file a national application because he is not the inventor, the international application may be rejected by the designated Office.
(4). Where the national law provides, in respect of the form or contents of national applications, for requirements which, from the viewpoint of applicants, are more favorable than the requirements provided for by this Treaty and the Regulations in respect of international applications, the national Office, the courts and any other competent organs of or acting for the designated State may apply the former requirements, instead of the latter requirements, to international applications, except where the applicant insists that the requirements provided for by this Treaty and the Regulations be applied to his international application.
(5). Nothing in this Treaty and the Regulations is intended to be construed as prescribing anything that would limit the freedom of each Contracting State to prescribe such substantive conditions of patentability as it desires. In particular, any provision in this Treaty and the Regulations concerning the definition of prior art is exclusively for the purposes of the international procedure and, consequently, any Contracting State is free to apply, when determining the patentability of an invention claimed in an international application, the criteria of its national law in respect of prior art and other conditions of patentability not constituting requirements as to the form and contents of applications.
(6). The national law may require that the applicant furnish evidence in respect of any substantive condition of patentability prescribed by such law.
(7). Any receiving Office or, once the processing of the international application has started in the designated Office, that Office may apply the national law as far as it relates to any requirement that the applicant be represented by an agent having the right to represent applicants before the said Office and/or that the applicant have an address in the designated State for the purpose of receiving notifications.
(8). Nothing in this Treaty and the Regulations is intended to be construed as limiting the freedom of any Contracting State to apply measures deemed necessary for the preservation of its national security or to limit, for the protection of the general economic interests of that State, the right of its own residents or nationals to file international applications.

(1). The applicant shall be given the opportunity to amend the claims, the description, and the drawings, before each designated Office within the prescribed time limit. No designated Office shall grant a patent, or refuse the grant of a patent, before such time limit has expired except with the express consent of the applicant.
(2). The amendments shall not go beyond the disclosure in the international application as filed unless the national law of the designated State permits them to go beyond the said disclosure.
(3). The amendments shall be in accordance with the national law of the designated State in all respects not provided for in this Treaty and the Regulations.
(4). Where the designated Office requires a translation of the international application, the amendments shall be in the language of the translation.

(1). As far as the protection of any rights of the applicant in a designated State is concerned, the effects, in that State, of the international publication of an international application shall, subject to the provisions of paragraphs (2) to (4), be the same as those which the national law of the designated State provides for the compulsory national publication of unexamined national applications as such.
(2). If the language in which the international publication has been effected is different from the language in which publications under the national law are effected in the designated State, the said national law may provide that the effects provided for in paragraph (1) shall be applicable only from such time as:
(i) a translation into the latter language has been published as provided by the national law, or
(ii) a translation into the latter language has been made available to the public, by laying open for public inspection as provided by the national law, or
(iii) a translation into the latter language has been transmitted by the applicant to the actual or prospective unauthorized user of the invention claimed in the international application, or
(iv) both the acts described in (i) and (iii), or both the acts described in (ii) and (iii), have taken place.
(3). The national law of any designated State may provide that, where the international publication has been effected, on the request of the applicant, before the expiration of 18 months from the priority date, the effects provided for in paragraph (1) shall be applicable only from the expiration of 18 months from the priority date.
(4). The national law of any designated State may provide that the effects provided for in paragraph (1) shall be applicable only from the date on which a copy of the international application as published under Article 21 has been received in the national Office of or acting for such State. The said Office shall publish the date of receipt in its gazette as soon as possible.

(1). (a) Subject to the provisions of subparagraph (b), the International Bureau and the International Searching Authorities shall not allow access by any person or authority to the international application before the international publication of that application, unless requested or authorized by the applicant.
(b) The provisions of subparagraph (a) shall not apply to any transmittal to the competent International Searching Authority, to transmittals provided for under Article 13, and to communications provided for under Article 20.
(2). (a) No national Office shall allow access to the international application by third parties, unless requested or authorized by the applicant, before the earliest of the following dates: (i) date of the international publication of the international application,
(ii) date of the receipt of the communication of the international application under Article 20,
(iii) date of the receipt of a copy of the international application under Article 22.
(i) date of the international publication of the international application,
(ii) date of the receipt of the communication of the international application under Article 20,
(iii) date of the receipt of a copy of the international application under Article 22.
(b) The provisions of subparagraph (a) shall not prevent any national Office from informing third parties that it has been designated, or from publishing that fact. Such information or publication may, however, contain only the following data: identification of the receiving Office, name of the applicant, international filing date, international application number, and title of the invention.
(c) The provisions of subparagraph (a) shall not prevent any designated Office from allowing access to the international application for the purposes of the judicial authorities.
(3). The provisions of paragraph (2) (a) shall apply to any receiving Office except as far as transmittals provided for under Article 12 (1) are concerned.
(4). For the purposes of this Article, the term “access” covers any means by which third parties may acquire cognizance, including individual communication and general publication, provided, however, that no national Office shall generally publish an international application or its translation before the international publication or, if international publication has not taken place by the expiration of 20 months from the priority date, before the expiration of 20 months from the said priority date.

(1). On the demand of the applicant, his international application shall be the subject of an international preliminary examination as provided in the following provisions and the Regulations.
(2). (a) Any applicant who is a resident or national, as defined in the Regulations, of a Contracting State bound by Chapter II, and whose international application has been filed with the receiving Office of or acting for such State, may make a demand for international preliminary examination.
(b) The Assembly may decide to allow persons entitled to file international applications to make a demand for international preliminary examination even if they are residents or nationals of a State not party to this Treaty or not bound by Chapter II.
(3). The demand for international preliminary examination shall be made separately from the international application. The demand shall contain the prescribed particulars and shall be in the prescribed language and form.
(4). (a) The demand shall indicate the Contracting State or States in which the applicant intends to use the results of the international preliminary examination (“elected States”). Additional Contracting States may be elected later. Election may relate only to Contracting States already designated under Article 4.
(b) Applicants referred to in paragraph (2) (a) may elect any Contracting State bound by Chapter II. Applicants referred to in paragraph (2) (b) may elect only such Contracting States bound by Chapter II as have declared that they are prepared to be elected by such applicants.
(5). The demand shall be subject to the payment of the prescribed fees within the prescribed time limit.
(6). (a) The demand shall be submitted to the competent International Preliminary Examining Authority referred to in Article 32.
(b) Any later election shall be submitted to the International Bureau.
(7). Each elected Office shall be notified of its election.

(1). International preliminary examination shall be carried out by the International Preliminary Examining Authority.
(2). In the case of demands referred to in Article 31 (2) (a), the receiving Office, and, in the case of demands referred to in Article 31 (2) (b), the Assembly, shall, in accordance with the applicable agreement between the interested International Preliminary Examining Authority or Authorities and the International Bureau, specify the International Preliminary Examining Authority or Authorities competent for the preliminary examination.
(3). The provisions of Article 16(3) shall apply, mutatis mutandis, in respect of International Preliminary Examining Authorities.

(1). The objective of the international preliminary examination is to formulate a preliminary and non-binding opinion on the questions whether the claimed invention appears to be novel, to involve an inventive step (to be non-obvious), and to be industrially applicable.
(2). For the purposes of the international preliminary examination, a claimed invention shall be considered novel if it is not anticipated by the prior art as defined in the Regulations.
(3). For the purposes of the international preliminary examination, a claimed invention shall be considered to involve an inventive step if, having regard to the prior art as defined in the Regulations, it is not, at the prescribed relevant date, obvious to a person skilled in the art.
(4). For the purposes of the international preliminary examination, a claimed invention shall be considered industrially applicable if, according to its nature, it can be made or used (in the technological sense) in any kind of industry. “Industry” shall be understood in its broadest sense, as in the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property.
(5). The criteria described above merely serve the purposes of international preliminary examination. Any Contracting State may apply additional or different criteria for the purpose of deciding whether, in that State, the claimed invention is patentable or not.
(6). The international preliminary examination shall take into consideration all the documents cited in the international search report. It may take into consideration any additional documents considered to be relevant in the particular case.

(1). Procedure before the International Preliminary Examining Authority shall be governed by the provisions of this Treaty, the Regulations, and the agreement which the International Bureau shall conclude, subject to this Treaty and the Regulations, with the said Authority.
(2). (a) The applicant shall have a right to communicate orally and in writing with the International Preliminary Examining Authority.
(b) The applicant shall have a right to amend the claims, the description, and the drawings, in the prescribed manner and within the prescribed time limit, before the international preliminary examination report is established. The amendment shall not go beyond the disclosure in the international application as filed.
(c) The applicant shall receive at least one written opinion from the International Preliminary Examining Authority unless such Authority considers that all of the following conditions are fulfilled: (i) the invention satisfies the criteria set forth in Article 33(1),
(ii) the international application complies with the requirements of this Treaty and the Regulations in so far as checked by that Authority,
(iii) no observations are intended to be made under Article 35(2), last sentence.
(i) the invention satisfies the criteria set forth in Article 33(1),
(ii) the international application complies with the requirements of this Treaty and the Regulations in so far as checked by that Authority,
(iii) no observations are intended to be made under Article 35(2), last sentence.
(d) The applicant may respond to the written opinion.
(3). (a) If the International Preliminary Examining Authority considers that the international application does not comply with the requirement of unity of invention as set forth in the Regulations, it may invite the applicant, at his option, to restrict the claims so as to comply with the requirement or to pay additional fees.
(b) The national law of any elected State may provide that, where the applicant chooses to restrict the claims under subparagraph (a), those parts of the international application which, as a consequence of the restriction, are not to be the subject of international preliminary examination shall, as far as effects in that State are concerned, be considered withdrawn unless a special fee is paid by the applicant to the national Office of that State.
(c) If the applicant does not comply with the invitation referred to in subparagraph (a) within the prescribed time limit, the International Preliminary Examining Authority shall establish an international preliminary examination report on those parts of the international application which relate to what appears to be the main invention and shall indicate the relevant facts in the said report. The national law of any elected State may provide that, where its national Office finds the invitation of the International Preliminary Examining Authority justified, those parts of the international application which do not relate to the main invention shall, as far as effects in that State are concerned, be considered withdrawn unless a special fee is paid by the applicant to that Office.
(4). (a) If the International Preliminary Examining Authority considers (i) that the international application relates to a subject matter on which the International Preliminary Examining Authority is not required, under the Regulations, to carry out an international preliminary examination, and in the particular case decides not to carry out such examination, or
(ii) that the description, the claims, or the drawings, are so unclear, or the claims are so inadequately supported by the description, that no meaningful opinion can be formed on the novelty, inventive step (non-obviousness), or industrial applicability, of the claimed invention, the said Authority shall not go into the questions referred to in Article 33(1) and shall inform the applicant of this opinion and the reasons therefor.
(i) that the international application relates to a subject matter on which the International Preliminary Examining Authority is not required, under the Regulations, to carry out an international preliminary examination, and in the particular case decides not to carry out such examination, or
(ii) that the description, the claims, or the drawings, are so unclear, or the claims are so inadequately supported by the description, that no meaningful opinion can be formed on the novelty, inventive step (non-obviousness), or industrial applicability, of the claimed invention,
(b) If any of the situations referred to in subparagraph (a) is found to exist in, or in connection with, certain claims only, the provisions of that subparagraph shall apply only to the said claims.

(1). The international preliminary examination report shall be established within the prescribed time limit and in the prescribed form.
(2). The international preliminary examination report shall not contain any statement on the question whether the claimed invention is or seems to be patentable or unpatentable according to any national law. It shall state, subject to the provisions of paragraph (3), in relation to each claim, whether the claim appears to satisfy the criteria of novelty, inventive step (non-obviousness), and industrial applicability, as defined for the purposes of the international preliminary examination in Article 33(1) to (4). The statement shall be accompanied by the citation of the documents believed to support the stated conclusion with such explanations as the circumstances of the case may require. The statement shall also be accompanied by such other observations as the Regulations provide for.
(3). (a) If, at the time of establishing the international preliminary examination report, the International Preliminary Examining Authority considers that any of the situations referred to in Article 34(4) (a) exists, that report shall state this opinion and the reasons therefor. It shall not contain any statement as provided in paragraph (2).
(b) If a situation under Article 34(4) (b) is found to exist, the international preliminary examination report shall, in relation to the claims in question, contain the statement as provided in subparagraph (a), whereas, in relation to the other claims, it shall contain the statement as provided in paragraph (2).

(1). The international preliminary examination report, together with the prescribed annexes, shall be transmitted to the applicant and to the International Bureau.
(2). (a) The international preliminary examination report and its annexes shall be translated into the prescribed languages.
(b) Any translation of the said report shall be prepared by or under the responsibility of the International Bureau, whereas any translation of the said annexes shall be prepared by the applicant.
(3). (a) The international preliminary examination report, together with its translation (as prescribed) and its annexes (in the original language), shall be communicated by the International Bureau to each elected Office.
(b) The prescribed translation of the annexes shall be transmitted within the prescribed time limit by the applicant to the elected Offices.
(4). The provisions of Article 20(3) shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to copies of any document which is cited in the international preliminary examination report and which was not cited in the international search report.

(1). The applicant may withdraw any or all elections.
(2). If the election of all elected States is withdrawn, the demand shall be considered withdrawn.
(3). (a) Any withdrawal shall be notified to the International Bureau.
(b) The elected Offices concerned and the International Preliminary Examining Authority concerned shall be notified accordingly by the International Bureau.
(4). (a) Subject to the provisions of subparagraph (b), withdrawal of the demand or of the election of a Contracting State shall, unless the national law of that State provides otherwise, be considered to be withdrawal of the international application as far as that State is concerned.
(b) Withdrawal of the demand or of the election shall not be considered to be withdrawal of the international application if such withdrawal is effected prior to the expiration of the applicable time limit under Article 22; however, any Contracting State may provide in its national law that the aforesaid shall apply only if its national Office has received, within the said time limit, a copy of the international application together with a translation (as prescribed), and the national fee.

(1). Neither the International Bureau nor the International Preliminary Examining Authority shall, unless requested or authorized by the applicant, allow access within the meaning, and with the proviso, of Article 30(4) to the file of the international preliminary examination by any person or authority at any time, except by the elected Offices once the international preliminary examination report has been established.
(2). Subject to the provisions of paragraph (1) and Articles 36(1) and (3) and 37(3) (b), neither the International Bureau nor the International Preliminary Examining Authority shall, unless requested or authorized by the applicant, give information on the issuance or non-issuance of an international preliminary examination report and on the withdrawal or non-withdrawal of the demand or of any election.

(1). (a) If the election of any Contracting State has been effected prior to the expiration of the 19th month from the priority date, the provisions of Article 22 shall not apply to such State and the applicant shall furnish a copy of the international application (unless the communication under Article 20 has already taken place) and a translation thereof (as prescribed), and pay the national fee (if any), to each elected Office not later than at the expiration of 30 months from the priority date.
(b) Any national law may, for performing the acts referred to in paragraph(a), fix time limits which expire later than the time limit provided for in that subparagraph.
(2). The effect provided for in Article 11(3) shall cease in the elected State with the same consequences as the withdrawal of any national application in that State if the applicant fails to perform the acts referred to in paragraph (1) (a) within the time limit applicable under paragraph (1) (a) or (b).
(3). Any elected Office may maintain the effect provided for in Article 11(3) even where the applicant does not comply with the requirements provided for in paragraph (1) (a) or (b).

(1). If the election of any Contracting State has been effected prior to the expiration of the 19th month from the priority date, the provisions of Article 23 shall not apply to such State and the national Office of or acting for that State shall not proceed, subject to the provisions of paragraph (2), to the examination and other processing of the international application prior to the expiration of the applicable time limit under Article 39.
(2). Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1), any elected Office may, on the express request of the applicant, proceed to the examination and other processing of the international application at any time.

(1). The applicant shall be given the opportunity to amend the claims, the description, and the drawings, before each elected Office within the prescribed time limit. No elected Office shall grant a patent, or refuse the grant of a patent, before such time limit has expired, except with the express consent of the applicant.
(2). The amendments shall not go beyond the disclosure in the international application as filed, unless the national law of the elected State permits them to go beyond the said disclosure.
(3). The amendments shall be in accordance with the national law of the elected State in all respects not provided for in this Treaty and the Regulations.
(4). Where an elected Office requires a translation of the international application, the amendments shall be in the language of the translation.

No elected Office receiving the international preliminary examination report may require that the applicant furnish copies, or information on the contents, of any papers connected with the examination relating to the same international application in any other elected Office.

In respect of any designated or elected State whose law provides for the grant of inventors' certificates, utility certificates, utility models, patents or certificates of addition, inventors' certificates of addition, or utility certificates of addition, the applicant may indicate, as prescribed in the Regulations, that his international application is for the grant, as far as that State is concerned, of an inventor's certificate, a utility certificate, or a utility model, rather than a patent, or that it is for the grant of a patent or certificate of addition, an inventor's certificate of addition, or a utility certificate of addition, and the ensuing effect shall be governed by the applicant's choice. For the purposes of this Article and any Rule thereunder, Article 2 (ii) shall not apply.

In respect of any designated or elected State whose law permits an application, while being for the grant of a patent or one of the other kinds of protection referred to in Article 43, to be also for the grant of another of the said kinds of protection, the applicant may indicate, as prescribed in the Regulations, the two kinds of protection he is seeking, and the ensuing effect shall be governed by the applicant's indications. For the purposes of this Article, Article 2 (ii) shall not apply.

(1). Any treaty providing for the grant of regional patents (“regional patent treaty”), and giving to all persons who, according to Article 9, are entitled to file international applications the right to file applications for such patents, may provide that international applications designating or electing a State party to both the regional patent treaty and the present Treaty may be filed as applications for such patents.
(2). The national law of the said designated or elected State may provide that any designation or election of such State in the international application shall have the effect of an indication of the wish to obtain a regional patent under the regional patent treaty.

If, because of an incorrect translation of the international application, the scope of any patent granted on that application exceeds the scope of the international application in its original language, the competent authorities of the Contracting State concerned may accordingly and retroactively limit the scope of the patent, and declare it null and void to the extent that its scope has exceeded the scope of the international application in its original language.

(1). The details for computing time limits referred to in this Treaty are governed by the Regulations.
(2). (a) All time limits fixed in Chapters I and II of this Treaty may, outside any revision under Article 60, be modified by a decision of the Contracting States.
(b) Such decisions shall be made in the Assembly or through voting, by correspondence and must be unanimous.
(c) The details of the procedure are governed by the Regulations.

(1). Where any time limit fixed in this Treaty or the Regulations is not met because of interruption in the mail service or unavoidable loss or delay in the mail, the time limit shall be deemed to be met in the cases and subject to the proof and other conditions prescribed in the Regulations.
(2). (a) Any Contracting State shall, as far as that State is concerned, excuse, for reasons admitted under its national law, any delay in meeting, any time limit.
(b) Any Contracting State may, as far as that State is concerned, excuse, for reasons other than those referred to in subparagraph (a), any delay in meeting any time limit.

Any attorney, patent agent, or other person, having the right to practice before the national Office with which the international application was filed, shall be entitled to practice before the International Bureau and the competent International Searching Authority and competent International Preliminary Examining Authority in respect of that application.

(1). The International Bureau may furnish services by providing technical and any other pertinent information available to it on the basis of published documents, primarily patents and published applications (referred to in this Article as “the information services”).
(2). The International Bureau may provide these information services either directly or through one or more International Searching Authorities or other national or international specialized institutions, with which the International Bureau may reach agreement.
(3). The information services shall be operated in a way particularly facilitating the acquisition by Contracting States which are developing countries of technical knowledge and technology, including available published know-how.
(4). The information services shall be available to Governments of Contracting States and their nationals and residents. The Assembly may decide to make these services available also to others.
(5). (a) Any service to Governments of Contracting States shall be furnished at cost, provided that, when the Government is that of a Contracting State which is a developing country, the service shall be furnished below cost if the difference can be covered from profit made on services furnished to others than Governments of Contracting States or from the sources referred to in Article 51(4).
(b) The cost referred to in subparagraph (a) is to be understood as cost over and above costs normally incident to the performance of the services of a national Office or the obligations of an International Searching Authority.
(6). The details concerning the implementation of the provisions of this Article shall be governed by decisions of the Assembly and, within the limits to be fixed by the Assembly, such working groups as the Assembly may set up for that purpose.
(7). The Assembly shall, when it considers it necessary, recommend methods of providing financing supplementary to those referred to in paragraph (5).

(1). The Assembly shall establish a Committee for Technical Assistance (referred to in this Article as “the Committee”).
(2). (a) The members of the Committee shall be elected among the Contracting States, with due regard to the representation of developing countries.
(b) The Director General shall, on his own initiative or at the request of the Committee, invite representatives of intergovernmental organizations concerned with technical assistance to developing countries to participate in the work of the Committee.
(3). (a) The task of the Committee shall be to organize and supervise technical assistance for Contracting States which are developing countries in developing their patent systems individually or on a regional basis.
(b) The technical assistance shall comprise, among other things, the training of specialists, the loaning of experts, and the supply of equipment both for demonstration and for operational purposes.
(4). The International Bureau shall seek to enter into agreements, on the one hand, with international financing organizations and intergovernmental organizations, particularly the United Nations, the agencies of the United Nations, and the Specialized Agencies connected with the United Nations concerned with technical assistance, and, on the other hand, with the Governments of the States receiving the technical assistance, for the financing of projects pursuant to this Article.
(5). The details concerning the implementation of the provisions of this Article shall be governed by decisions of the Assembly and, within the limits to be fixed by the Assembly, such working groups as the Assembly may set up for that purpose.

Nothing in this Chapter shall affect the financial provisions contained in any other Chapter of this Treaty. Such provisions are not applicable to the present Chapter or to its implementation.

(1). (a) The Assembly shall, subject to Article 57(8), consist of the Contracting States.
(b) The Government of each Contracting State shall be represented by one delegate, who may be assisted by alternate delegates, advisors, and experts.
(2). (a) The Assembly shall: (i) deal with all matters concerning the maintenance and development of the Union and the implementation of this Treaty;
(ii) perform such tasks as are specifically assigned to it under other provisions of this Treaty;
(iii) give directions to the International Bureau concerning the preparation for revision conferences;
(iv) review and approve the reports and activities of the Director General concerning the Union, and give him all necessary instructions concerning matters within the competence of the Union;
(v) review and approve the reports and activities of the Executive Committee established under paragraph (9), and give instructions to such Committee;
(vi) determine the program and adopt the triennial budget of the Union, and approve its final accounts;
(vii) adopt the financial regulations of the Union;
(viii) establish such committees and working groups as it deems appropriate to achieve the objectives of the Union;
(ix) determine which States other than Contracting States and, subject to the provisions of paragraph (8), which intergovernmental and international non-governmental organizations shall be admitted to its meetings as observers;
(x) take any other appropriate action designed to further the objectives of the Union and perform such other functions as are appropriate under this Treaty.
(i) deal with all matters concerning the maintenance and development of the Union and the implementation of this Treaty;
(ii) perform such tasks as are specifically assigned to it under other provisions of this Treaty;
(iii) give directions to the International Bureau concerning the preparation for revision conferences;
(iv) review and approve the reports and activities of the Director General concerning the Union, and give him all necessary instructions concerning matters within the competence of the Union;
(v) review and approve the reports and activities of the Executive Committee established under paragraph (9), and give instructions to such Committee;
(vi) determine the program and adopt the triennial budget of the Union, and approve its final accounts;
(vii) adopt the financial regulations of the Union;
(viii) establish such committees and working groups as it deems appropriate to achieve the objectives of the Union;
(ix) determine which States other than Contracting States and, subject to the provisions of paragraph (8), which intergovernmental and international non-governmental organizations shall be admitted to its meetings as observers;
(x) take any other appropriate action designed to further the objectives of the Union and perform such other functions as are appropriate under this Treaty.
(b) With respect to matters which are of interest also to other Unions administered by the Organization, the Assembly shall make its decisions after having heard the advice of the Co-ordination Committee of the Organization.
(3). A delegate may represent, and vote in the name of, one State only.
(4). Each Contracting State shall have one vote.
(5). (a) One-half of the Contracting States shall constitute a quorum.
(b) In the absence of the quorum, the Assembly may make decisions but, with the exception of decisions concerning its own procedure, all such decisions shall take effect only if the quorum and the required majority are attained through voting by correspondence as provided in the Regulations.
(6). (a) Subject to the provisions of Articles 47(2) (b), 58(2) (b), 58(3) and 61(2) (b), the decisions of the Assembly shall require two-thirds of the votes cast.
(b) Abstentions shall not be considered as votes.
(7). In connection with matters of exclusive interest to States bound by Chapter II, any reference to Contracting States in paragraphs (4), (5), and (6), shall be considered as applying only to States bound by Chapter II.
(8). Any intergovernmental organization appointed as International Searching or Preliminary Examining Authority shall be admitted as observer to the Assembly.
(9). When the number of Contracting States exceeds forty, the Assembly shall establish an Executive Committee. Any reference to the Executive Committee in this Treaty and the Regulations shall be construed as references to such Committee once it has been established.
(10). Until the Executive Committee has been established, the Assembly shall approve, within the limits of the program and triennial budget, the annual programs and budgets prepared by the Director General.
(11). (a) The Assembly shall meet in every second calendar year in ordinary session upon convocation by the Director General and, in the absence of exceptional circumstances, during the same period and at the same place as the General Assembly of the Organization.
(b) The Assembly shall meet in extraordinary session upon convocation by the Director General, at the request of the Executive Committee, or at the request of one-fourth of the Contracting States.
(12). The Assembly shall adopt its own rules of procedure.

(1). When the Assembly has established an Executive Committee, that Committee shall be subject to the provisions set forth hereinafter.
(2). (a) The Executive Committee shall, subject to Article 57(8), consist of States elected by the Assembly from among States members of the Assembly.
(b) The Government of each State member of the Executive Committee shall be represented by one delegate, who may be assisted by alternate delegates, advisors, and experts.
(3). The number of States members of the Executive Committee shall correspond to one-fourth of the number of States members of the Assembly. In establishing the number of seats to be filled, remainders after division by four shall be disregarded.
(4). In electing the members of the Executive Committee, the Assembly shall have due regard to an equitable geographical distribution.
(5). (a) Each member of the Executive Committee shall serve from the close of the session of the Assembly which elected it to the close of the next ordinary session of the Assembly.
(b) Members of the Executive Committee may be re-elected but only up to a maximum of two-thirds of such members.
(c) The Assembly shall establish the details of the rules governing the election and possible re-election of the members of the Executive Committee.
(6). (a) The Executive Committee shall: (i) prepare the draft agenda of the Assembly;
(ii) submit proposals to the Assembly in respect of the draft program and biennial budget of the Union prepared by the Director General;
(iii) vervallen;
(iv) submit, with appropriate comments, to the Assembly the periodical reports of the Director General and the yearly audit reports on the accounts;
(v) take all necessary measures to ensure the execution of the program of the Union by the Director General, in accordance with the decisions of the Assembly and having regard to circumstances arising between two ordinary sessions of the Assembly;
(vi) perform such other functions as are allocated to it under this Treaty.
(i) prepare the draft agenda of the Assembly;
(ii) submit proposals to the Assembly in respect of the draft program and biennial budget of the Union prepared by the Director General;
(iii) vervallen;
(iv) submit, with appropriate comments, to the Assembly the periodical reports of the Director General and the yearly audit reports on the accounts;
(v) take all necessary measures to ensure the execution of the program of the Union by the Director General, in accordance with the decisions of the Assembly and having regard to circumstances arising between two ordinary sessions of the Assembly;
(vi) perform such other functions as are allocated to it under this Treaty.
(b) With respect to matters which are of interest also to other Unions administered by the Organization, the Executive Committee shall make its decisions after having heard the advice of the Coordination Committee of the Organization.
(7). (a) The Executive Committee shall meet once a year in ordinary session upon convocation by the Director General, preferably during the same period and at the same place as the Coordination Committee of the Organization.
(b) The Executive Committee shall meet in extraordinary session upon convocation by the Director General, either on his own initiative or at the request of its Chairman or one-fourth of its members.
(8). (a) Each State member of the Executive Committee shall have one vote.
(b) One-half of the members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum.
(c) Decisions shall be made by a simple majority of the votes cast.
(d) Abstentions shall not be considered as votes.
(e) A delegate may represent, and vote in the name of, one State only.
(9). Contracting States not members of the Executive Committee shall be admitted to its meetings as observers, as well as any intergovernmental organization appointed as International Searching or Preliminary Examining Authority.
(10). The Executive Committee shall adopt its own rules of procedure.

(1). Administrative tasks concerning the Union shall be performed by the International Bureau.
(2). The International Bureau shall provide the secretariat of the various organs of the Union.
(3). The Director General shall be the chief executive of the Union and shall represent the Union.
(4). The International Bureau shall publish a Gazette and other publications provided for by the Regulations or required by the Assembly.
(5). The Regulations shall specify the services that national Offices shall perform in order to assist the International Bureau and the International Searching and Preliminary Examining Authorities in carrying out their tasks under this Treaty.
(6). The Director General and any staff member designated by him shall participate, without the right to vote, in all meetings of the Assembly, the Executive Committee and any other committee or working group established under this Treaty or the Regulations. The Director General, or a staff member designated by him, shall be ex officio secretary of these bodies.
(7). (a) The International Bureau shall, in accordance with the directions of the Assembly and in cooperation with the Executive Committee, make the preparations for the revision conferences.
(b) The International Bureau may consult with intergovernmental and international non-governmental organizations concerning preparations for revision conferences.
(c) The Director General and persons designated by him shall take part, without the right to vote, in the discussions at revision conferences.
(8). The International Bureau shall carry out any other tasks assigned to it.

(1). The Assembly shall establish a Committee for Technical Cooperation (referred to in this Article as “the Committee”).
(2). (a) The Assembly shall determine the composition of the Committee and appoint its members, with due regard to an equitable representation of developing countries.
(b) The International Searching and Preliminary Examining Authorities shall be ex officio members of the Committee. In the case where such an Authority is the national Office of a Contracting State, that State shall not be additionally represented on the Committee.
(c) If the number of Contracting States so allows, the total number of members of the Committee shall be more than double the number of ex officio members.
(d) The Director General shall, on his own initiative or at the request of the Committee, invite representatives of interested organizations to participate in discussions of interest to them.
(3). The aim of the Committee shall be to contribute, by advice and recommendations:
(i) to the constant improvement of the services provided for under this Treaty,
(ii) to the securing, so long as there are several International Searching Authorities and several International Preliminary Examining Authorities, of the maximum degree of uniformity in their documentation and working methods and the maximum degree of uniformly high quality in their reports, and
(iii) on the initiative of the Assembly or the Executive Committee, to the solution of the technical problems specifically involved in the establishment of a single International Searching Authority.
(4). Any Contracting State and any interested international organization may approach the Committee in writing on questions which fall within the competence of the Committee.
(5). The Committee may address its advice and recommendations to the Director General or, through him, to the Assembly, the Executive Committee, all or some of the International Searching and Preliminary Examining Authorities, and all or some of the receiving Offices.
(6). (a) In any case, the Director General shall transmit to the Executive Committee the texts of all the advice and recommendations of the Committee. He may comment on such texts.
(b) The Executive Committee may express its views on any advice, recommendation, or other activity of the Committee, and may invite the Committee to study and report on questions falling within its competence. The Executive Committee may submit to the Assembly, with appropriate comments, the advice, recommendations and report of the Committee.
(7). Until the Executive Committee has been established, references in paragraph (6) to the Executive Committee shall be construed as references, to the Assembly.
(8). The details of the procedure of the Committee shall be governed by the decisions of the Assembly.

(1). (a) The Union shall have a budget.
(b) The budget of the Union shall include the income and expenses proper to the Union and its contribution to the budget of expenses common to the Unions administered by the Organization.
(c) Expenses not attributable exclusively to the Union but also to one or more other Unions administered by the Organization shall be considered as expenses common to the Unions. The share of the Union in such common expenses shall be in proportion to the interest the Union has in them.
(2). The budget of the Union shall be established with due regard to the requirements of coordination with the budgets of the other Unions administered by the Organization.
(3). Subject to the provisions of paragraph (5), the budget of the Union shall be financed from the following sources:
(i) fees and charges due for services rendered by the International Bureau in relation to the Union;
(ii) sale of, or royalties on, the publications of the International Bureau concerning the Union;
(iii) gifts, bequests, and subventions;
(iv) rents, interests, and other miscellaneous income.
(4). The amounts of fees and charges due to the International Bureau and the prices of its publications shall be so fixed that they should, under normal circumstances, be sufficient to cover all the expenses of the International Bureau connected with the administration of this Treaty.
(5). (a) Should any financial year close with a deficit, the Contracting States shall, subject to the provisions of subparagraphs (b) and (c), pay contributions to cover such deficit.
(b) The amount of the contribution of each Contracting State shall be decided by the Assembly with due regard to the number of international applications which has emanated from each of them in the relevant year.
(c) If other means of provisionally covering any deficit or any part thereof are secured, the Assembly may decide that such deficit be carried forward and that the Contracting States should not be asked to pay contributions.
(d) If the financial situation of the Union so permits, the Assembly may decide that any contributions paid under subparagraph (a) be reimbursed to the Contracting States which have paid them.
(e) A Contracting State which has not paid, within two years of the due date as established by the Assembly, its contribution under subparagraph (b) may not exercise its right to vote in any of the organs of the Union. However, any organ of the Union may allow such a State to continue to exercise its right to vote in that organ so long as it is satisfied that the delay in payment is due to exceptional and unavoidable circumstances.
(6). If the budget is not adopted before the beginning of a new financial period, it shall be at the same level as the budget of the previous year, as provided in the financial regulations.
(7). (a) The Union shall have a working capital fund which shall be constituted by a single payment made by each Contracting State. If the fund becomes insufficient, the Assembly shall arrange to increase it. If part of the fund is no longer needed, it shall be reimbursed.
(b) The amount of the initial payment of each Contracting State to the said fund or of its participation in the increase thereof shall be decided by the Assembly on the basis of principles similar to those provided for under paragraph (5) (b).
(c) The terms of payment shall be fixed by the Assembly on the proposal of the Director General and after it has heard the advice of the Coordination Committee of the Organization.
(d) Any reimbursement shall be proportionate to the amounts paid by each Contracting State, taking into account the dates at which they were paid.
(8). (a) In the headquarters agreement concluded with the State on the territory of which the Organization has its headquarters, it shall be provided that, whenever the working capital fund is insufficient, such State shall grant advances. The amount of these advances and the conditions on which they are granted shall be the subject of separate agreements, in each case, between such State and the Organization. As long as it remains under the obligation to grant advances, such State shall have an ex officio seat in the Assembly and on the Executive Committee.
(b) The State referred to in subparagraph (a) and the Organization shall each have the right to denounce the obligation to grant advances, by written notification. Denunciation shall take effect three years after the end of the year in which it has been notified.
(9). The auditing of the accounts shall be effected by one or more of the Contracting States or by external auditors, as provided in the financial regulations. They shall be designated, with their agreement, by the Assembly.

(1). The Regulations annexed to this Treaty provide Rules:
(i) concerning matters in respect of which this Treaty expressly refers to the Regulations or expressly provides that they are or shall be prescribed,
(ii) concerning any administrative requirements, matters, or procedures,
(iii) concerning any details useful in the implementation of the provisions of this Treaty.
(2). (a) The Assembly may amend the Regulations.
(b) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (3), amendments shall require three-fourths of the votes cast.
(3). (a) The Regulations specify the Rules which may be amended (i) only by unanimous consent, or
(ii) only if none of the Contracting States whose national Office acts as an International Searching or Preliminary Examining Authority dissents and, where such Authority is an intergovernmental organization, if the Contracting State member of that organization authorized for that purpose by the other member States within the competent body of such organization does not dissent.
(i) only by unanimous consent, or
(ii) only if none of the Contracting States whose national Office acts as an International Searching or Preliminary Examining Authority dissents and, where such Authority is an intergovernmental organization, if the Contracting State member of that organization authorized for that purpose by the other member States within the competent body of such organization does not dissent.
(b) Exclusion, for the future, of any such Rules from the applicable requirement shall require the fulfillment of the conditions referred to in subparagraph (a) (i) or (a) (ii), respectively.
(c) Inclusion, for the future, of any Rule in one or the other of the requirements referred to in subparagraph (a) shall require unanimous consent.
(4). The Regulations provide for the establishment, under the control of the Assembly, of Administrative Instructions by the Director General.
(5). In the case of conflict between the provisions of the Treaty and those of the Regulations, the provisions of the Treaty shall prevail.

Subject to Article 64(5), any dispute between two or more Contracting States concerning the interpretation or application of this Treaty or the Regulations, not settled by negotiation, may, by any one of the States concerned, be brought before the International Court of Justice by application in conformity with the Statute of the Court, unless the States, concerned agree on some other method of settlement. The Contracting State bringing the dispute before the Court shall inform the International Bureau; the International Bureau shall bring the matter to the attention of the other Contracting States.

(1). This Treaty may be revised from time to time by a special conference of the Contracting States.
(2). The convocation of any revision conference shall be decided by the Assembly.
(3). Any intergovernmental organization appointed as International Searching or Preliminary Examining Authority shall be admitted as observer to any revision conference.
(4). Articles 53(5), (9) and (11), 54, 55(4) to (8), 56, and 57, may be amended either by a revision conference or according to the provisions of Article 61.

(1). (a) Proposals for the amendment of Articles 53(5), (9) and (11), 54, 55(4) to (8), 56, and 57, may be initiated by any State member of the Assembly, by the Executive Committee, or by the Director General.
(b) Such proposals shall be communicated by the Director General to the Contracting States at least six months in advance of their consideration by the Assembly.
(2). (a) Amendments to the Articles referred to in paragraph (1) shall be adopted by the Assembly.
(b) Adoption shall require three-fourths of the votes cast.
(3). (a) Any amendment to the Articles referred to in paragraph (1) shall enter into force one month after written notifications of acceptance, effected in accordance with their respective constitutional processes, have been received by the Director General from three-fourths of the States members of the Assembly at the time it adopted the amendment.
(b) Any amendment to the said Articles thus accepted shall bind all the States which are members of the Assembly at the time the amendment enters into force, provided that any amendment increasing the financial obligations of the Contracting States shall bind only those States which have notified their acceptance of such amendment.
(c) Any amendment accepted in accordance with the provisions of subparagraph (a) shall bind all States which become members of the Assembly after the date on which the amendment entered into force in accordance with the provisions of subparagraph (a).

(1). Any State member of the International Union for the Protection of Industrial Property may become party to this Treaty by:
(i) signature followed by the deposit of an instrument of ratification, or
(ii) deposit of an instrument of accession.
(2). Instruments of ratification or accession shall be deposited with the Director General.
(3). The provisions of Article 24 of the Stockholm Act of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property shall apply to this Treaty.
(4). Paragraph (3) shall in no way be understood as implying the recognition or tacit acceptance by a Contracting State of the factual situation concerning a territory to which this Treaty is made applicable by another Contracting State by virtue of the said paragraph.

(1). (a) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (3), this Treaty shall enter into force three months after eight States have deposited their instruments of ratification or accession, provided that at least four of those States each fulfill any of the following conditions: (i) the number of applications filed in the State has exceeded 40,000 according to the most recent annual statistics published by the International Bureau,
(ii) the nationals or residents of the State have filed at least 1,000 applications in one foreign country according to the most recent annual statistics published by the International Bureau,
(iii) the national Office of the State has received at least 10,000 applications from nationals or residents of foreign countries according to the most recent annual statistics published by the International Bureau.
(i) the number of applications filed in the State has exceeded 40,000 according to the most recent annual statistics published by the International Bureau,
(ii) the nationals or residents of the State have filed at least 1,000 applications in one foreign country according to the most recent annual statistics published by the International Bureau,
(iii) the national Office of the State has received at least 10,000 applications from nationals or residents of foreign countries according to the most recent annual statistics published by the International Bureau.
(b) For the purposes of this paragraph, the term “applications” does not include applications for utility models.
(2). Subject to the provisions of paragraph (3), any State which does not become party to this Treaty upon entry into force under paragraph (1) shall become bound by this Treaty three months after the date on which such State has deposited its instrument of ratification or accession.
(3). The provisions of Chapter II and the corresponding provisions of the Regulations annexed to this Treaty shall become applicable, however, only on the date on which three States each of which fulfill at least one of the three requirements specified in paragraph (1) have become party to this Treaty without declaring, as provided in Article 64(1), that they do not intend to be bound by the provisions of Chapter II. That date shall not, however, be prior to that of the initial entry into force under paragraph (1).

(1). (a) Any State may declare that it shall not be bound by the provisions of Chapter II.
(b) States making a declaration under subparagraph (a) shall not be bound by the provisions of Chapter II and the corresponding provisions of the Regulations.
(2). (a) Any State not having made a declaration under paragraph (1) (a) may declare that: (i) it shall not be bound by the provisions of Article 39(1) with respect to the furnishing of a copy of the international application and a translation thereof (as prescribed),
(ii) the obligation to delay national processing, as provided for under Article 40, shall not prevent publication, by or through its national Office, of the international application or a translation thereof, it being understood, however, that it is not exempted from the limitations provided for in Articles 30 and 38.
(i) it shall not be bound by the provisions of Article 39(1) with respect to the furnishing of a copy of the international application and a translation thereof (as prescribed),
(ii) the obligation to delay national processing, as provided for under Article 40, shall not prevent publication, by or through its national Office, of the international application or a translation thereof, it being understood, however, that it is not exempted from the limitations provided for in Articles 30 and 38.
(b) States making such a declaration shall be bound accordingly.
(3). (a) Any State may declare that, as far as it is concerned, international publication of international applications is not required.
(b) Where, at the expiration of 18 months from the priority date, the international application contains the designation only of such States as have made declarations under Subparagraph (a), the international application shall not be published by virtue of Article 21(2).
(c) Where the provisions of subparagraph (6) apply, the international application shall nevertheless be published by the International Bureau: (i) at the request of the applicant, as provided in the Regulations,
(ii) when a national application or a patent based on the international application is published by or on behalf of the national Office of any designated State having made a declaration under subparagraph(a), promptly after such publication but not before the expiration of 18 months from the priority date.
(i) at the request of the applicant, as provided in the Regulations,
(ii) when a national application or a patent based on the international application is published by or on behalf of the national Office of any designated State having made a declaration under subparagraph(a), promptly after such publication but not before the expiration of 18 months from the priority date.
(4). (a) Any State whose national law provides for prior art effect of its patents as from a date before publication, but does not equate for prior art purposes the priority date claimed under the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property to the actual filing date in that State, may declare that the filing outside that State of an international application designating that State is not equated to an actual filing in that State for prior art purposes.
(b) Any State making a declaration under subparagraph (a) shall to that extent not be bound by the provisions of Article 11(3).
(c) Any State making a declaration under subparagraph (a) shall, at the same time, state in writing the date from which, and the conditions under which, the prior art effect of any international application designating that State becomes effective in that State. This statement may be modified at any time by notification addressed to the Director General.
(5). Each State may declare that it does not consider itself bound by Article 59. With regard to any dispute between any Contracting State having made such a declaration and any other Contracting State, the provisions of Article 59 shall not apply.
(6). (a) Any declaration made under this Article shall be made in writing. It may be made at the time of signing this Treaty, at the time of depositing the instrument of ratification or accession, or, except in the case referred to in paragraph (5), at any later time by notification addressed to the Director General. In the case of the said notification, the declaration shall take effect six months after the day on which the Director General has received the notification, and shall not affect international applications filed prior to the expiration of the said six-month period.
(b) Any declaration made under this Article may be withdrawn at any time by notification addressed to the Director General. Such withdrawal shall take effect three months after the day on which the Director General has received the notification and, in the case of the withdrawal of a declaration made under paragraph (3), shall not affect international applications filed prior to the expiration of the said three-month period.
(7). No reservations to this Treaty other than the reservations under paragraphs (1) to (5) are permitted.

(1). If the agreement with any International Searching or Preliminary Examining Authority provides, transitionally, for limits on the number or kind of international applications that such Authority undertakes to process, the Assembly shall adopt the measures necessary for the gradual application of this Treaty and the Regulations in respect of given categories of international applications. This provision shall also apply to requests for an international-type search under Article 15(5).
(2). The Assembly shall fix the dates from which, subject to the provision of paragraph (1), international applications may be filed and demands for international preliminary examination may be submitted. Such dates shall not be later than six months after this Treaty has entered into force according to the provisions of Article 63(1), or after Chapter II has become applicable under Article 63(3), respectively.

(1). Any Contracting State may denounce this Treaty by notification addressed to the Director General.
(2). Denunciation shall take effect six months after receipt of the said notification by the Director General. It shall not affect the effects of the international application in the denouncing State if the international application was filed, and, where the denouncing State has been elected, the election was made, prior to the expiration of the said six-month period.

(1). (a) This Treaty shall be signed in a single original in the English and French languages, both texts being equally authentic.
(b) Official texts shall be established by the Director General, after consultation with the interested Governments, in the German, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish languages, and such other languages as the Assembly may designate.
(2). This Treaty shall remain open for signature at Washington until December 31, 1970.

(1). The original of this Treaty, when no longer open for signature, shall be deposited with the Director General.
(2). The Director General shall transmit two copies, certified by him, of this Treaty and the Regulations annexed hereto to the Governments of all States party to the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property and, on request, to the Government of any other State.
(3). The Director General shall register this Treaty with the Secretariat of the United Nations.
(4). The Director General shall transmit two copies, certified by him of any amendment to this Treaty and the Regulations to the Governments of all Contracting States and, on request, to the Government of any other State.

The Director General shall notify the Governments of all States party to the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property of:
(i) signatures under Article 62,
(ii) deposits of instruments of ratification or accession under Article 62,
(iii) the date of entry into force of this Treaty and the date from which Chapter II is applicable in accordance with Article 63(3),
(iv) any declarations made under Article 64(1) to (5),
(v) withdrawals of any declarations made under Article 64(6)(b),
(vi) denunciations received under Article 66, and
(vii) any declarations made under Article 31 (4).

12bis.1. Furnishing by the Applicant of Documents Related to Earlier Search in Case of Request under Rule 4.12
a) Where the applicant has, under Rule 4.12, requested the International Searching Authority to take into account the results of an earlier search carried out by the same or another International Searching Authority or by a national Office, the applicant shall, subject to paragraphs (b) to (d), submit to the receiving Office, together with the international application, a copy of the results of the earlier search, in whatever form (for example, in the form of a search report, a listing of cited prior art or an examination report) they are presented by the Authority or Office concerned.
b) Where the earlier search was carried out by the same Office as that which is acting as the receiving Office, the applicant may, instead of submitting the copy referred to in paragraph (a), indicate the wish that the receiving Office prepare and transmit it to the International Searching Authority. Such request shall be made in the request and may be subjected by the receiving Office to the payment to it, for its own benefit, of a fee.
c) Where the earlier search was carried out by the same International Searching Authority, or by the same Office as that which is acting as the International Searching Authority, no copy referred to in paragraph (a) shall be required to be submitted under that paragraph.
d) Where a copy referred to in paragraph (a) is available to the receiving Office or the International Searching Authority in a form and manner acceptable to it, for example, from a digital library, and the applicant so indicates in the request, no copy shall be required to be submitted under that paragraph.
12bis.2. Invitation by the International Searching Authority to Furnish Documents Related to Earlier Search in Case of Request under Rule 4.12
a) The International Searching Authority may, subject to paragraphs (b) and (c), invite the applicant to furnish to it, within a time limit which shall be reasonable under the circumstances: (i) a copy of the earlier application concerned;
(ii) where the earlier application is in a language which is not accepted by the International Searching Authority, a translation of the earlier application into a language which is accepted by that Authority;
(iii) where the results of the earlier search are in a language which is not accepted by the International Searching Authority, a translation of those results into a language which is accepted by that Authority;
(iv) a copy of any document cited in the results of the earlier search.
(i) a copy of the earlier application concerned;
(ii) where the earlier application is in a language which is not accepted by the International Searching Authority, a translation of the earlier application into a language which is accepted by that Authority;
(iii) where the results of the earlier search are in a language which is not accepted by the International Searching Authority, a translation of those results into a language which is accepted by that Authority;
(iv) a copy of any document cited in the results of the earlier search.
b) Where the earlier search was carried out by the same International Searching Authority, or by the same Office as that which is acting as the International Searching Authority, or where a copy or translation referred to in paragraph (a) is available to the International Searching Authority in a form and manner acceptable to it, for example, from a digital library, or in the form of the priority document, no copy or translation referred to in paragraph (a) shall be required to be submitted under that paragraph.
c) Where the request contains a statement under Rule 4.12(ii) to the effect that the international application is the same, or substantially the same, as the application in respect of which the earlier search was carried out, or that the international application is the same, or substantially the same, as that earlier application except that it is filed in a different language, no copy or translation referred to in paragraphs (a)(i) and (ii) shall be required to be submitted under those paragraphs.

13bis.1. Definition
For the purposes of this Rule, “reference to deposited biological material” means particulars given in an international application with respect to the deposit of biological material with a depositary institution or to the biological material so deposited.
13bis.2. References (General)
Any reference to deposited biological material shall be made in accordance with this Rule and, if so made, shall be considered as satisfying the requirements of the national law of each designated State.
13bis.3. References: Contents; Failure to Include Reference or Indication
(a) A reference to deposited biological material shall indicate: (i) the name and the address of the depositary institution with which the deposit was made;
(ii) the date of deposit of the biological material with that institution;
(iii) the accession number given to the deposit by that institution; and
(iv) any additional matter of which the International Bureau has been notified pursuant to Rule 13bis.7(a)(i), provided that the requirement to indicate that matter was published in the Gazette in accordance with Rule 13bis.7(c) at least two months before the filing of the international application.
(i) the name and the address of the depositary institution with which the deposit was made;
(ii) the date of deposit of the biological material with that institution;
(iii) the accession number given to the deposit by that institution; and
(iv) any additional matter of which the International Bureau has been notified pursuant to Rule 13bis.7(a)(i), provided that the requirement to indicate that matter was published in the Gazette in accordance with Rule 13bis.7(c) at least two months before the filing of the international application.
(b) Failure to include a reference to deposited biological material or failure to include, in a reference to deposited biological material, an indication in accordance with paragraph (a), shall have no consequence in any designated State whose national law does not require such reference or such indication in a national application.
13bis.4. References: Time Limit for Furnishing Indications
a) Subject to paragraphs b) and c), if any of the indications referred to in Rule 13bis.3a) is not included in a reference to deposited biological material in the international application as filed but is furnished to the International Bureau: (i) within 16 months from the priority date, the indication shall be considered by any designated Office to have been furnished in time;
(ii) after the expiration of 16 months from the priority date, the indication shall be considered by any designated Office to have been furnished on the last day of that time limit if it reaches the International Bureau before the technical preparations for international publication have been completed.
(i) within 16 months from the priority date, the indication shall be considered by any designated Office to have been furnished in time;
(ii) after the expiration of 16 months from the priority date, the indication shall be considered by any designated Office to have been furnished on the last day of that time limit if it reaches the International Bureau before the technical preparations for international publication have been completed.
b) If the national law applicable by a designated Office so requires in respect of national applications, that Office may require that any of the indications referred to in Rule 13bis.3(a) be furnished earlier than 16 months from the priority date, provided that the International Bureau has been notified of such requirement pursuant to Rule 13bis.7a)(ii) and has published such requirement in the Gazette in accordance with Rule 13bis.7(c) at least two months before the filing of the international application.
c) Where the applicant makes a request for early publication under Article 21(2)b), any designated Office may consider any indication not furnished before the technical preparations for international publication have been completed as not having been furnished in time.
d) The International Bureau shall notify the applicant of the date on which it received any indication furnished under paragraph (a), and: (i) if the indication was received before the technical preparations for international publication have been completed, publish the indication furnished under paragraph (a), and an indication of the date of receipt, together with the international application;
(ii) if the indication was received after the technical preparations for international publication have been completed, notify that date and the relevant data from the indication to the designated Offices.
(i) if the indication was received before the technical preparations for international publication have been completed, publish the indication furnished under paragraph (a), and an indication of the date of receipt, together with the international application;
(ii) if the indication was received after the technical preparations for international publication have been completed, notify that date and the relevant data from the indication to the designated Offices.
13bis.5. References and Indications for the Purposes of One or More Designated States; Different Deposits for Different Designated States; Deposits with Depositary Institutions Other than Those Notified
a) A reference to deposited biological material shall be considered to be made for the purposes of all designated States, unless it is expressly made for the purposes of certain of the designated States only; the same applies to the indications included in the reference.
b) References to different deposits of the biological material may be made for different designated States.
c) Any designated Office may disregard a deposit made with a depositary institution other than one notified by it under Rule 13bis.7b)
13bis.6. Furnishing of Samples
(a) Vervallen.
(b) Pursuant to Articles 23 and 40, no furnishing of samples of the deposited biological material to which a reference is made in an international application shall, except with the authorization of the applicant, take place before the expiration of the applicable time limits after which national processing may start under the said Articles. However, where the applicant performs the acts referred to in Articles 22 or 39 after international publication but before the expiration of the said time limits, the furnishing of samples of the deposited biological material may take place, once the said acts have been performed. Notwithstanding the previous provision, the furnishing of samples of the deposited biological material may take place under the national law applicable by any designated Office as soon as, under that law, the international publication has the effects of the compulsory national publication of an unexamined national application.
13bis.7. National Requirements: Notification and Publication
(a) Any national Office may notify the International Bureau of any requirement of the national law: (i) that any matter specified in the notification, in addition to those referred to in Rule 13bis.3a(i), (ii) and (iii), is required to be included in a reference to deposited biological material in a national application;
(ii) that one or more of the indications referred to in Rule 13bis.3a) are required to be included in a national application as filed or are required to be furnished at a time specified in the notification which is earlier than 16 months from the priority date.
(i) that any matter specified in the notification, in addition to those referred to in Rule 13bis.3a(i), (ii) and (iii), is required to be included in a reference to deposited biological material in a national application;
(ii) that one or more of the indications referred to in Rule 13bis.3a) are required to be included in a national application as filed or are required to be furnished at a time specified in the notification which is earlier than 16 months from the priority date.
(b) Each national Office shall notify the International Bureau of the depositary institutions with which the national law permits deposits of biological materials to be made for the purposes of patent procedure before that Office or, if the national law does not provide for or permit such deposits, of that fact.
(c) The International Bureau shall promptly publish in the Gazette requirements notified to it under paragraph (a) and information notified to it under paragraph (b).

13ter.1. Procedure before the International Searching Authority
a) Where the international application contains disclosure of nucleotide and/or amino acid sequences that, pursuant to the Administrative Instructions, are required to be included in a sequence listing, the International Searching Authority may invite the applicant to furnish to it, for the purposes of the international search, a sequence listing complying with the standard provided for in the Administrative Instructions, unless such listing is already available to it in a form, language and manner acceptable to it, and to pay to it, where applicable, the late furnishing fee referred to in paragraph (c), within a time limit fixed in the invitation.
b) Vervallen.
c) The furnishing of a sequence listing in response to an invitation under paragraph (a) may be subjected by the International Searching Authority to the payment to it, for its own benefit, of a late furnishing fee whose amount shall be determined by the International Searching Authority but shall not exceed 25% of the international filing fee referred to in item 1 of the Schedule of Fees, not taking into account any fee for each sheet of the international application in excess of 30 sheets.
d) If the applicant does not, within the time limit fixed in the invitation under paragraph (a), furnish the required sequence listing and pay any required late furnishing fee, the International Searching Authority shall only be required to search the international application to the extent that a meaningful search can be carried out without the sequence listing.
e) Any sequence listing not contained in the international application as filed, whether furnished in response to an invitation under paragraph (a) or otherwise, shall not form part of the international application, but this paragraph shall not prevent the applicant from amending the description in relation to a sequence listing pursuant to Article 34(2)(b).
f) Vervallen.
13ter.2. Procedure Before the International Preliminary Examining Authority
Rule 13ter.1 shall apply mutatis mutandis to the procedure before the International Preliminary Examining Authority.
13ter.3. Sequence Listing for Designated Office
No designated Office shall require the applicant to furnish to it a sequence listing other than a sequence listing complying with the standard provided for in the Administrative Instructions.

16bis.1. Invitation by the Receiving Office
a) Where, by the time they are due under Rules 14.1(c), 15.3 and 16.1(f), the receiving Office finds that no fees were paid to it, or that the amount paid to it is insufficient to cover the transmittal fee, the international filing fee and the search fee, the receiving Office shall, subject to paragraph (d), invite the applicant to pay to it the amount required to cover those fees, together with, where applicable, the late payment fee under Rule 16bis.2, within a time limit of one month from the date of the invitation.
b) Vervallen.
c) Where the receiving Office has sent to the applicant an invitation under paragraph (a) and the applicant has not, within the time limit referred to in that paragraph, paid in full the amount due, including, where applicable, the late payment fee under Rule 16bis.2, the receiving Office shall, subject to paragraph (e): (i) make the applicable declaration under Article 14(3), and
(ii) proceed as provided in Rule 29.
(i) make the applicable declaration under Article 14(3), and
(ii) proceed as provided in Rule 29.
d) Any payment received by the receiving Office before that Office sends the invitation under paragraph (a) shall be considered to have been received before the expiration of the time limit under Rule 14.1(c), 15.3 or 16.1(f), as the case may be.
e) Any payment received by the receiving Office before that Office makes the applicable declaration under Article 14(3) shall be considered to have been received before the expiration of the time limit referred to in paragraph a).
16bis.2. Late Payment Fee
a) The payment of fees in response to an invitation under Rule 16bis.1a) may be subjected by the receiving Office to the payment to it, for its own benefit, of a late payment fee. The amount of that fee shall be: (i) 50% of the amount of unpaid fees which is specified in the invitation, or,
(ii) if the amount calculated under item (i) is less than the transmittal fee, an amount equal to the transmittal fee.
(i) 50% of the amount of unpaid fees which is specified in the invitation, or,
(ii) if the amount calculated under item (i) is less than the transmittal fee, an amount equal to the transmittal fee.
b) The amount of the late payment fee shall not, however, exceed the amount of 50% of the international filing fee referred to in item 1 of the Schedule of Fees, not taking into account any fee for each sheet of the international application in excess of 30 sheets.

23bis.1. Transmittal of Documents Relating to Earlier Search in Case of Request under Rule 4.12
a) The receiving Office shall transmit to the International Searching Authority, together with the search copy, any copy referred to in Rule 12bis.1(a) related to an earlier search in respect of which the applicant has made a request under Rule 4.12, provided that any such copy: (i) has been submitted by the applicant to the receiving Office together with the international application;
(ii) has been requested by the applicant to be prepared and transmitted by the receiving Office to that Authority; or
(iii) is available to the receiving Office in a form and manner acceptable to it, for example, from a digital library, in accordance with Rule 12bis.1(d).
(i) has been submitted by the applicant to the receiving Office together with the international application;
(ii) has been requested by the applicant to be prepared and transmitted by the receiving Office to that Authority; or
(iii) is available to the receiving Office in a form and manner acceptable to it, for example, from a digital library, in accordance with Rule 12bis.1(d).
b) If it is not included in the copy of the results of the earlier search referred to in Rule 12bis.1(a), the receiving Office shall also transmit to the International Searching Authority, together with the search copy, a copy of the results of any earlier classification effected by that Office, if already available.
23bis.2. Transmittal of Documents Relating to Earlier Search or Classification for the Purposes of Rule 41.2
a) For the purposes of Rule 41.2, where the international application claims the priority of one or more earlier applications filed with the same Office as that which is acting as the receiving Office and that Office has carried out an earlier search in respect of such an earlier application or has classified such earlier application, the receiving Office shall, subject to Article 30(2)(a) as applicable by virtue of Article 30(3) and paragraphs (b), (d) and (e), transmit to the International Searching Authority, together with the search copy, a copy of the results of any such earlier search, in whatever form (for example, in the form of a search report, a listing of cited prior art or an examination report) they are available to the Office, and a copy of the results of any such earlier classification effected by the Office, if already available. The receiving Office may, subject to Article 30(2)(a) as applicable by virtue of Article 30(3), also transmit to the International Searching Authority any further documents relating to such an earlier search which it considers useful to that Authority for the purposes of carrying out the international search.
b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), a receiving Office may notify the International Bureau by April 14, 2016 that it may, on request of the applicant submitted together with the international application, decide not to transmit the results of an earlier search to the International Searching Authority. The International Bureau shall publish any notification under this provision in the Gazette.
c) At the option of the receiving Office, paragraph (a) shall apply mutatis mutandis where the international application claims the priority of one or more earlier applications filed with an Office different from the one which is acting as the receiving Office and that Office has carried out an earlier search in respect of such an earlier application or has classified such earlier application, and the results of any such earlier search or classification are available to the receiving Office in a form and manner acceptable to it, for example, from a digital library.
d) Paragraphs (a) and (c) shall not apply where the earlier search was carried out by the same International Searching Authority or by the same Office as that which is acting as the International Searching Authority, or where the receiving Office is aware that a copy of the earlier search or classification results is available to the International Searching Authority in a form and manner acceptable to it, for example, from a digital library.
e) To the extent that, on October 14, 2015, the transmission of the copies referred to in paragraph (a), or the transmission of such copies in a particular form, such as those referred to in paragraph (a), without the authorization by the applicant is not compatible with the national law applied by the receiving Office, that paragraph shall not apply to the transmission of such copies, or to the transmission of such copies in the particular form concerned, in respect of any international application filed with that receiving Office for as long as such transmission without the authorization by the applicant continues not to be compatible with that law, provided that the said Office informs the International Bureau accordingly by April 14, 2016. The information received shall be promptly published by the International Bureau in the Gazette.

26bis.1. Correction or Addition of Priority Claim
a) The applicant may correct a priority claim or add a priority claim to the request by a notice submitted to the receiving Office or the International Bureau within a time limit of 16 months from the priority date or, where the correction or addition would cause a change in the priority date, 16 months from the priority date as so changed, whichever 16-month period expires first, provided that such a notice may be submitted until the expiration of four months from the international filing date. The correction of a priority claim may include the addition of any indication referred to in Rule 4.10.
b) Any notice referred to in paragraph a) received by the receiving Office or the International Bureau after the applicant has made a request for early publication under Article 21(2)b) shall be considered not to have been submitted, unless that request is withdrawn before the technical preparations for international publication have been completed.
c) Where the correction or addition of a priority claim causes a change in the priority date, any time limit which is computed from the previously applicable priority date and which has not already expired shall be computed from the priority date as so changed.
26bis.2. Defects in Priority Claims
a) Where the receiving Office or, if the receiving Office fails to do so, the International Bureau, finds in relation to a priority claim: (i) that the international application has an international filing date which is later than the date on which the priority period expired and that a request for restoration of the right of priority under Rule 26bis.3 has not been submitted;
(ii) that the priority claim does not comply with the requirements of Rule 4.10; or
(iii) that any indication in the priority claim is inconsistent with the corresponding indication appearing in the priority document; the receiving Office or the International Bureau, as the case may be, shall invite the applicant to correct the priority claim. In the case referred to in item (i), where the international filing date is within two months from the date on which the priority period expired, the receiving Office or the International Bureau, as the case may be, shall also notify the applicant of the possibility of submitting a request for the restoration of the right of priority in accordance with Rule 26bis.3, unless the receiving Office has notified the International Bureau under Rule 26bis.3j) of the incompatibility of Rule 26bis.3a) to (i) with the national law applied by that Office.
(i) that the international application has an international filing date which is later than the date on which the priority period expired and that a request for restoration of the right of priority under Rule 26bis.3 has not been submitted;
(ii) that the priority claim does not comply with the requirements of Rule 4.10; or
(iii) that any indication in the priority claim is inconsistent with the corresponding indication appearing in the priority document;
b) If the applicant does not, before the expiration of the time limit under Rule 26bis.1a), submit a notice correcting the priority claim, that priority claim shall, subject to paragraph c), for the purposes of the procedure under the Treaty, be considered not to have been made (“considered void”) and the receiving Office or the International Bureau, as the case may be, shall so declare and shall inform the applicant accordingly. Any notice correcting the priority claim which is received before the receiving Office or the International Bureau, as the case may be, so declares and not later than one month after the expiration of that time limit shall be considered to have been received before the expiration of that time limit.
c) A priority claim shall not be considered void only because: (i) the indication of the number of the earlier application referred to in Rule 4.10a)(ii) is missing;
(ii) an indication in the priority claim is inconsistent with the corresponding indication appearing in the priority document; or
(iii) the international application has an international filing date which is later than the date on which the priority period expired, provided that the international filing date is within the period of two months from that date.
(i) the indication of the number of the earlier application referred to in Rule 4.10a)(ii) is missing;
(ii) an indication in the priority claim is inconsistent with the corresponding indication appearing in the priority document; or
(iii) the international application has an international filing date which is later than the date on which the priority period expired, provided that the international filing date is within the period of two months from that date.
d) Where the receiving Office or the International Bureau has made a declaration under paragraph b) or where the priority claim has not been considered void only because paragraph c) applies, the International Bureau shall publish, together with the international application, information concerning the priority claim as prescribed by the Administrative Instructions, as well as any information submitted by the applicant concerning such priority claim which is received by the International Bureau prior to the completion of the technical preparations for international publication. Such information shall be included in the communication under Article 20 where the international application is not published by virtue of Article 64(3).
e) Where the applicant wishes to correct or add a priority claim but the time limit under Rule 26bis.1 has expired, the applicant may, prior to the expiration of 30 months from the priority date and subject to the payment of a special fee whose amount shall be fixed in the Administrative Instructions, request the International Bureau to publish information concerning the matter, and the International Bureau shall promptly publish such information.
26bis.3. Restoration of Right of Priority by Receiving Office
a) Where the international application has an international filing date which is later than the date on which the priority period expired but within the period of two months from that date, the receiving Office shall, on the request of the applicant, and subject to paragraphs b) to g) of this Rule, restore the right of priority if the Office finds that a criterion applied by it (“criterion for restoration”) is satisfied, namely, that the failure to file the international application within the priority period: (i) occurred in spite of due care required by the circumstances having been taken; or
(ii) was unintentional. Each receiving Office shall apply at least one of those criteria and may apply both of them.
(i) occurred in spite of due care required by the circumstances having been taken; or
(ii) was unintentional.
b) A request under paragraph a) shall: (i) be filed with the receiving Office within the time limit applicable under paragraph e);
(ii) state the reasons for the failure to file the international application within the priority period; and
(iii) preferably be accompanied by any declaration or other evidence required under paragraph f).
(i) be filed with the receiving Office within the time limit applicable under paragraph e);
(ii) state the reasons for the failure to file the international application within the priority period; and
(iii) preferably be accompanied by any declaration or other evidence required under paragraph f).
c) Where a priority claim in respect of the earlier application is not contained in the international application, the applicant shall submit, within the time limit applicable under paragraph e), a notice under Rule 26bis.1a) adding the priority claim.
d) The submission of a request under paragraph (a) may be subjected by the receiving Office to the payment to it, for its own benefit, of a fee for requesting restoration, payable within the time limit applicable under paragraph (e). The amount of that fee, if any, shall be fixed by the receiving Office. The time limit for payment of the fee may be extended, at the option of the receiving Office, for a period of up to two months from the expiration of the time limit applicable under paragraph (e).
e) The time limit referred to in paragraphs b)(i), c) and d) shall be two months from the date on which the priority period expired, provided that, where the applicant makes a request for early publication under Article 21(2)b), any request under paragraph a) or any notice referred to in paragraph c) submitted, or any fee referred to in paragraph d) paid, after the technical preparations for international publication have been completed shall be considered as not having been submitted or paid in time.
f) The receiving Office may require that a declaration or other evidence in support of the statement of reasons referred to in paragraph (b)(ii) be filed with it within a time limit which shall be reasonable under the circumstances.
g) The receiving Office shall not refuse, totally or in part, a request under paragraph a) without giving the applicant the opportunity to make observations on the intended refusal within a time limit which shall be reasonable under the circumstances. Such notice of intended refusal by the receiving Office may be sent to the applicant together with any invitation to file a declaration or other evidence under paragraph f).
h) The receiving Office shall promptly: (i) notify the International Bureau of the receipt of a request under paragraph a);
(ii) make a decision upon the request;
(iii) notify the applicant and the International Bureau of its decision and the criterion for restoration upon which the decision was based;
(iv) subject to paragraph (h-bis), transmit to the International Bureau all documents received from the applicant relating to the request under paragraph (a) (including a copy of the request itself, any statement of reasons referred to in paragraph (b)(ii) and any declaration or other evidence referred to in paragraph (f)).
(i) notify the International Bureau of the receipt of a request under paragraph a);
(ii) make a decision upon the request;
(iii) notify the applicant and the International Bureau of its decision and the criterion for restoration upon which the decision was based;
(iv) subject to paragraph (h-bis), transmit to the International Bureau all documents received from the applicant relating to the request under paragraph (a) (including a copy of the request itself, any statement of reasons referred to in paragraph (b)(ii) and any declaration or other evidence referred to in paragraph (f)).
h-bis) The receiving Office shall, upon a reasoned request by the applicant or on its own decision, not transmit documents or parts thereof received in relation to the request under paragraph (a), if it finds that: (i) this document or part thereof does not obviously serve the purpose of informing the public about the international application;
(ii) publication or public access to any such document or part thereof would clearly prejudice the personal or economic interests of any person; and
(iii) there is no prevailing public interest to have access to that document or part thereof. Where the receiving Office decides not to transmit documents or parts thereof to the International Bureau, it shall notify the International Bureau accordingly.
(i) this document or part thereof does not obviously serve the purpose of informing the public about the international application;
(ii) publication or public access to any such document or part thereof would clearly prejudice the personal or economic interests of any person; and
(iii) there is no prevailing public interest to have access to that document or part thereof. Where the receiving Office decides not to transmit documents or parts thereof to the International Bureau, it shall notify the International Bureau accordingly.
i) Each receiving Office shall inform the International Bureau of which of the criteria for restoration it applies and of any subsequent changes in that respect. The International Bureau shall promptly publish such information in the Gazette.
j) If, on October 5, 2005, paragraphs a) to (i) are not compatible with the national law applied by the receiving Office, those paragraphs shall not apply in respect of that Office for as long as they continue not to be compatible with that law, provided that the said Office informs the International Bureau accordingly by April 5, 2006. The information received shall be promptly published by the International Bureau in the Gazette.

26quater.1. Correction or Addition of Indications
The applicant may correct or add to the request any indication referred to in Rule 4.11 by a notice submitted to the International Bureau within a time limit of 16 months from the priority date, provided that any notice which is received by the International Bureau after the expiration of that time limit shall be considered to have been received on the last day of that time limit if the notice reaches the International Bureau before the technical preparations for international publication have been completed.
26.quater.2. Late Correction or Addition of Indications
Where any correction or addition of an indication referred to in Rule 4.11 is not timely received under Rule 26quater.1, the International Bureau shall notify the applicant accordingly and shall proceed as provided for in the Administrative Instructions.

26ter.1. Correction or Addition of Declarations
The applicant may correct or add to the request any declaration referred to in Rule 4.17 by a notice submitted to the International Bureau within a time limit of 16 months from the priority date, provided that any notice which is received by the International Bureau after the expiration of that time limit shall be considered to have been received on the last day of that time limit if it reaches it before the technical preparations for international publication have been completed.
26ter.2. Processing of Declarations
a) Where the receiving Office or the International Bureau finds that any declaration referred to in Rule 4.17 is not worded as required or, in the case of the declaration of inventorship referred to in Rule 4.17(iv), is not signed as required, the receiving Office or the International Bureau, as the case may be, may invite the applicant to correct the declaration within a time limit of 16 months from the priority date.
b) Where the International Bureau receives any declaration or correction under Rule 26ter.1 after the expiration of the time limit under Rule 26ter.1, the International Bureau shall notify the applicant accordingly and shall proceed as provided for in the Administrative Instructions.

40bis.1. Invitation to Pay Additional Fees
The International Searching Authority may invite the applicant to pay additional fees where the fact that a missing part or a correct element or part:
(i) is included in the international application under Rule 20.5(c) or Rule 20.5bis(c), respectively; or
(ii) is considered, under Rule 20.5(d) or Rule 20.5bis(d), respectively, to have been contained in the international application on the date on which one or more elements referred to in Article 11(1)(iii) were first received by the receiving Office;
is notified to that Authority only after it has begun to draw up the international search report. The invitation shall invite the applicant to pay the additional fees within one month from the date of the invitation and indicate the amount of those fees to be paid. The amount of the additional fees shall be determined by the International Searching Authority but shall not exceed the search fee; the additional fees shall be payable directly to that Authority. Provided any such additional fees have been paid within the prescribed time limit, the International Searching Authority shall establish the international search report on the international application including any such missing part or any such correct element or part.

43bis.1. Written Opinion
a) Subject to Rule 69.1(b-bis), the International Searching Authority shall, at the same time as it establishes the international search report or the declaration referred to in Article 17(2)(a), establish a written opinion as to: (i) whether the claimed invention appears to be novel, to involve an inventive step (to be non-obvious), and to be industrially applicable;
(ii) whether the international application complies with the requirements of the Treaty and these Regulations in so far as checked by the International Searching Authority. The written opinion shall also be accompanied by such other observations as these Regulations provide for.
(i) whether the claimed invention appears to be novel, to involve an inventive step (to be non-obvious), and to be industrially applicable;
(ii) whether the international application complies with the requirements of the Treaty and these Regulations in so far as checked by the International Searching Authority.
b) For the purposes of establishing the written opinion, Articles 33(2) to (6) and 35(2) and (3) and Rules 43.4, 43.6bis, 64, 65, 66.1e), 66.7, 67, 70.2b) and d), 70.3, 70.4(ii), 70.5a), 70.6 to 70.10, 70.12, 70.14 and 70.15a) shall apply mutatis mutandis.
c) The written opinion shall contain a notification informing the applicant that, if a demand for international preliminary examination is made, the written opinion shall, under Rule 66.1bisa) but subject to Rule 66.1bisb), be considered to be a written opinion of the International Preliminary Examining Authority for the purposes of Rule 66.2a), in which case the applicant is invited to submit to that Authority, before the expiration of the time limit under Rule 54bis.1a), a written reply together, where appropriate, with amendments.

44bis.1. Issuance of Report; Transmittal to the Applicant
a) Unless an international preliminary examination report has been or is to be established, the International Bureau shall issue a report on behalf of the International Searching Authority (in this Rule referred to as “the report”) as to the matters referred to in Rule 43bis.1a). The report shall have the same contents as the written opinion established under Rule 43bis.1.
b) The report shall bear the title “international preliminary report on patentability (Chapter I of the Patent Cooperation Treaty)” together with an indication that it is issued under this Rule by the International Bureau on behalf of the International Searching Authority.
c) The International Bureau shall promptly transmit one copy of the report issued under paragraph a) to the applicant.
44bis.2. Communication to Designated Offices
a) Where a report has been issued under Rule 44bis.1, the International Bureau shall communicate it to each designated Office in accordance with Rule 93bis.1 but not before the expiration of 30 months from the priority date.
b) Where the applicant makes an express request to a designated Office under Article 23(2), the International Bureau shall communicate a copy of the written opinion established by the International Searching Authority under Rule 43bis.1 to that Office promptly upon the request of that Office or of the applicant.
44bis.3. Translation for Designated Offices
a) Any designated State may, where a report has been issued under Rule 44bis.1 in a language other than the official language, or one of the official languages, of its national Office, require a translation of the report into English. Any such requirement shall be notified to the International Bureau, which shall promptly publish it in the Gazette.
b) If a translation is required under paragraph a), it shall be prepared by or under the responsibility of the International Bureau.
c) The International Bureau shall transmit a copy of the translation to any interested designated Office and to the applicant at the same time as it communicates the report to that Office.
d) In the case referred to in Rule 44bis.2b), the written opinion established under Rule 43bis.1 shall, upon request of the designated Office concerned, be translated into English by or under the responsibility of the International Bureau. The International Bureau shall transmit a copy of the translation to the designated Office concerned within two months from the date of receipt of the request for translation, and shall at the same time transmit a copy to the applicant.
44bis.4. Observations on the Translation
The applicant may make written observations as to the correctness of the translation referred to in Rule 44bis.3b) or d) and shall send a copy of the observations to each of the interested designated Offices and to the International Bureau.

Vervallen

45bis.1. Supplementary Search Request
a) The applicant may, at any time prior to the expiration of 22 months from the priority date, request that a supplementary international search be carried out in respect of the international application by an International Searching Authority that is competent to do so under Rule 45bis.9. Such requests may be made in respect of more than one such Authority.
b) A request under paragraph (a) (“supplementary search request”) shall be submitted to the International Bureau and shall indicate: (i) the name and address of the applicant and of the agent (if any), the title of the invention, the international filing date and the international application number;
(ii) the International Searching Authority that is requested to carry out the supplementary international search (“Authority specified for supplementary search”); and
(iii) where the international application was filed in a language which is not accepted by that Authority, whether any translation furnished to the receiving Office under Rule 12.3 or 12.4 is to form the basis of the supplementary international search.
(i) the name and address of the applicant and of the agent (if any), the title of the invention, the international filing date and the international application number;
(ii) the International Searching Authority that is requested to carry out the supplementary international search (“Authority specified for supplementary search”); and
(iii) where the international application was filed in a language which is not accepted by that Authority, whether any translation furnished to the receiving Office under Rule 12.3 or 12.4 is to form the basis of the supplementary international search.
c) The supplementary search request shall, where applicable, be accompanied by: (i) where neither the language in which the international application was filed nor that in which a translation (if any) has been furnished under Rule 12.3 or 12.4 is accepted by the Authority specified for supplementary search, a translation of the international application into a language which is accepted by that Authority;
(ii) preferably, a copy of a sequence listing in electronic form complying with the standard provided for in the Administrative Instructions, if required by the Authority specified for supplementary search.
(i) where neither the language in which the international application was filed nor that in which a translation (if any) has been furnished under Rule 12.3 or 12.4 is accepted by the Authority specified for supplementary search, a translation of the international application into a language which is accepted by that Authority;
(ii) preferably, a copy of a sequence listing in electronic form complying with the standard provided for in the Administrative Instructions, if required by the Authority specified for supplementary search.
d) Where the International Searching Authority has found that the international application does not comply with the requirement of unity of invention, the supplementary search request may contain an indication of the wish of the applicant to restrict the supplementary international search to one of the inventions as identified by the International Searching Authority other than the main invention referred to in Article 17(3)(a).
e) The supplementary search request shall be considered not to have been submitted, and the International Bureau shall so declare: (i) if it is received after the expiration of the time limit referred to in paragraph (a); or
(ii) if the Authority specified for supplementary search has not stated, in the applicable agreement under Article 16(3)(b), its preparedness to carry out such searches or is not competent to do so under Rule 45bis.9(b).
(i) if it is received after the expiration of the time limit referred to in paragraph (a); or
(ii) if the Authority specified for supplementary search has not stated, in the applicable agreement under Article 16(3)(b), its preparedness to carry out such searches or is not competent to do so under Rule 45bis.9(b).
45bis.2. Supplementary Search Handling Fee
a) The supplementary search request shall be subject to the payment of a fee for the benefit of the International Bureau (“supplementary search handling fee”) as set out in the Schedule of Fees.
b) The supplementary search handling fee shall be paid in the currency in which the fee is set out in the Schedule of Fees or in any other currency prescribed by the International Bureau. The amount in such other currency shall be the equivalent, in round figures, as established by the International Bureau, of the amount as set out in the Schedule of Fees, and shall be published in the Gazette.
c) The supplementary search handling fee shall be paid to the International Bureau within one month from the date of receipt of the supplementary search request. The amount payable shall be the amount applicable on the date of payment.
d) The International Bureau shall refund the supplementary search handling fee to the applicant if, before the documents referred to in Rule 45bis.4(e)(i) to (iv) are transmitted to the Authority specified for supplementary search, the international application is withdrawn or considered withdrawn, or the supplementary search request is withdrawn or is considered not to have been submitted under Rule 45bis.1(e).
45bis.3. Supplementary Search Fee
a) Each International Searching Authority carrying out supplementary international searches may require that the applicant pay a fee (“supplementary search fee”) for its own benefit for carrying out such a search.
b) The supplementary search fee shall be collected by the International Bureau. Rules 16.1(b) to (e) shall apply mutatis mutandis.
c) As to the time limit for payment of the supplementary search fee and the amount payable, the provisions of Rule 45bis.2(c) shall apply mutatis mutandis.
d) The International Bureau shall refund the supplementary search fee to the applicant if, before the documents referred to in Rule 45bis.4(e)(i) to (iv) are transmitted to the Authority specified for supplementary search, the international application is withdrawn or considered withdrawn, or the supplementary search request is withdrawn or is considered not to have been submitted under Rules 45bis.1(e) or 45bis.4(d).
e) The Authority specified for supplementary search shall, to the extent and under the conditions provided for in the applicable agreement under Article 16(3)(b), refund the supplementary search fee if, before it has started the supplementary international search in accordance with Rule 45bis.5(a), the supplementary search request is considered not to have been submitted under Rule 45bis.5(g).
45bis.4. Checking of Supplementary Search Request; Correction of Defects; Late Payment of Fees; Transmittal to Authority Specified for Supplementary Search
a) Promptly after receipt of a supplementary search request, the International Bureau shall check whether it complies with the requirements of Rule 45bis.1(b) and (c)(i) and shall invite the applicant to correct any defects within a time limit of one month from the date of the invitation.
b) Where, by the time they are due under Rules 45bis.2(c) and 45bis.3(c), the International Bureau finds that the supplementary search handling fee and the supplementary search fee have not been paid in full, it shall invite the applicant to pay to it the amount required to cover those fees, together with the late payment fee under paragraph (c), within a time limit of one month from the date of the invitation.
c) The payment of fees in response to an invitation under paragraph (b) shall be subject to the payment to the International Bureau, for its own benefit, of a late payment fee whose amount shall be 50% of the supplementary search handling fee.
d) If the applicant does not furnish the required correction or does not pay the amount in full of the fees due, including the late payment fee, before the expiration of the time limit applicable under paragraph (a) or (b), respectively, the supplementary search request shall be considered not to have been submitted and the International Bureau shall so declare and shall inform the applicant accordingly.
e) On finding that the requirements of Rule 45bis.1(b) and (c)(i), 45bis.2(c) and 45bis.3(c) have been complied with, the International Bureau shall promptly, but not before the date of receipt by it of the international search report or the expiration of 17 months from the priority date, whichever occurs first, transmit to the Authority specified for supplementary search a copy of each of the following: (i) the supplementary search request;
(ii) the international application;
(iii) any sequence listing furnished under Rule 45bis.1(c)(ii); and
(iv) any translation furnished under Rule 12.3, 12.4 or 45bis.1(c)(i) which is to be used as the basis of the supplementary international search; and, at the same time, or promptly after their later receipt by the International Bureau: (v) the international search report and the written opinion established under Rule 43bis.1;
(vi) any invitation by the International Searching Authority to pay additional fees referred to in Article 17(3)(a); and
(vii) any protest by the applicant under Rule 40.2(c) and the decision thereon by the review body constituted in the framework of the International Searching Authority.
(i) the supplementary search request;
(ii) the international application;
(iii) any sequence listing furnished under Rule 45bis.1(c)(ii); and
(iv) any translation furnished under Rule 12.3, 12.4 or 45bis.1(c)(i) which is to be used as the basis of the supplementary international search;
(v) the international search report and the written opinion established under Rule 43bis.1;
(vi) any invitation by the International Searching Authority to pay additional fees referred to in Article 17(3)(a); and
(vii) any protest by the applicant under Rule 40.2(c) and the decision thereon by the review body constituted in the framework of the International Searching Authority.
f) Upon request of the Authority specified for supplementary search, the written opinion referred to in paragraph (e)(v) shall, when not in English or in a language accepted by that Authority, be translated into English by or under the responsibility of the International Bureau. The International Bureau shall transmit a copy of the translation to that Authority within two months from the date of receipt of the request for translation, and shall at the same time transmit a copy to the applicant.
45bis.5. Start, Basis and Scope of Supplementary International Search
a) The Authority specified for supplementary search shall start the supplementary international search promptly after receipt of the documents specified in Rule 45bis.4(e)(i) to (iv), provided that the Authority may, at its option, delay the start of the search until it has also received the documents specified in Rule 45bis.4(e)(v) or until the expiration of 22 months from the priority date, whichever occurs first.
b) The supplementary international search shall be carried out on the basis of the international application as filed or of a translation referred to in Rule 45bis.1(b)(iii) or 45bis.1(c)(i), taking due account of the international search report and the written opinion established under Rule 43bis.1 where they are available to the Authority specified for supplementary search before it starts the search. Where the supplementary search request contains an indication under Rule 45bis.1(d), the supplementary international search may be restricted to the invention specified by the applicant under Rule 45bis.1(d) and those parts of the international application which relate to that invention.
c) For the purposes of the supplementary international search, Article 17(2) and Rules 13ter.1, 33 and 39 shall apply mutatis mutandis.
d) Where the international search report is available to the Authority specified for supplementary search before it starts the search under paragraph (a), that Authority may exclude from the supplementary search any claims which were not the subject of the international search.
e) Where the International Searching Authority has made the declaration referred to in Article 17(2)(a) and that declaration is available to the Authority specified for supplementary search before it starts the search under paragraph (a), that Authority may decide not to establish a supplementary international search report, in which case it shall so declare and promptly notify the applicant and the International Bureau accordingly.
f) The supplementary international search shall cover at least the documentation indicated for that purpose in the applicable agreement under Article 16(3)(b).
g) If the Authority specified for supplementary search finds that carrying out the search is entirely excluded by a limitation or condition referred to in Rule 45bis.9(a), other than a limitation under Article 17(2) as applicable by virtue of Rule 45bis.5(c), the supplementary search request shall be considered not to have been submitted, and the Authority shall so declare and shall promptly notify the applicant and the International Bureau accordingly.
h) The Authority specified for supplementary search may, in accordance with a limitation or condition referred to in Rule 45bis.9(a), decide to restrict the search to certain claims only, in which case the supplementary international search report shall so indicate.
45bis.6. Unity of Invention
a) If the Authority specified for supplementary search finds that the international application does not comply with the requirement of unity of invention, it shall: (i) establish the supplementary international search report on those parts of the international application which relate to the invention first mentioned in the claims (“main invention”);
(ii) notify the applicant of its opinion that the international application does not comply with the requirement of unity of invention and specify the reasons for that opinion; and
(iii) inform the applicant of the possibility of requesting, within the time limit referred to in paragraph (c), a review of the opinion.
(i) establish the supplementary international search report on those parts of the international application which relate to the invention first mentioned in the claims (“main invention”);
(ii) notify the applicant of its opinion that the international application does not comply with the requirement of unity of invention and specify the reasons for that opinion; and
(iii) inform the applicant of the possibility of requesting, within the time limit referred to in paragraph (c), a review of the opinion.
b) In considering whether the international application complies with the requirement of unity of invention, the Authority shall take due account of any documents received by it under Rule 45bis.4(e)(vi) and (vii) before it starts the supplementary international search.
c) The applicant may, within one month from the date of the notification under paragraph (a)(ii), request the Authority to review the opinion referred to in paragraph (a). The request for review may be subjected by the Authority to the payment to it, for its own benefit, of a review fee whose amount shall be fixed by it.
d) If the applicant, within the time limit under paragraph (c), requests a review of the opinion by the Authority and pays any required review fee, the opinion shall be reviewed by the Authority. The review shall not be carried out only by the person who made the decision which is the subject of the review. Where the Authority: (i) finds that the opinion was entirely justified, it shall notify the applicant accordingly;
(ii) finds that the opinion was partially unjustified but still considers that the international application does not comply with the requirement of unity of invention, it shall notify the applicant accordingly and, where necessary, proceed as provided for in paragraph (a)(i);
(iii) finds that the opinion was entirely unjustified, it shall notify the applicant accordingly, establish the supplementary international search report on all parts of the international application and refund the review fee to the applicant.
(i) finds that the opinion was entirely justified, it shall notify the applicant accordingly;
(ii) finds that the opinion was partially unjustified but still considers that the international application does not comply with the requirement of unity of invention, it shall notify the applicant accordingly and, where necessary, proceed as provided for in paragraph (a)(i);
(iii) finds that the opinion was entirely unjustified, it shall notify the applicant accordingly, establish the supplementary international search report on all parts of the international application and refund the review fee to the applicant.
e) On the request of the applicant, the text of both the request for review and the decision thereon shall be communicated to the designated Offices together with the supplementary international search report. The applicant shall submit any translation thereof with the furnishing of the translation of the international application required under Article 22.
f) Paragraphs (a) to (e) shall apply mutatis mutandis where the Authority specified for supplementary search decides to restrict the supplementary international search in accordance with the second sentence of Rule 45bis.5(b) or with Rule 45bis.5(h), provided that any reference in the said paragraphs to the “international application” shall be construed as a reference to those parts of the international application which relate to the invention specified by the applicant under Rule 45bis.1(d) or which relate to the claims and those parts of the international application for which the Authority will carry out a supplementary international search, respectively.
45bis.7. Supplementary International Search Report
a) The Authority specified for supplementary search shall, within 28 months from the priority date, establish the supplementary international search report, or make the declaration referred to in Article 17(2)(a) as applicable by virtue of Rule 45bis.5(c) that no supplementary international search report will be established.
b) Every supplementary international search report, any declaration referred to in Article 17(2)(a) as applicable by virtue of Rule 45bis.5(c) and any declaration under Rule 45bis.5(e) shall be in a language of publication.
c) For the purposes of establishing the supplementary international search report, Rules 43.1, 43.2, 43.5, 43.6, 43.6bis, 43.8 and 43.10 shall, subject to paragraphs (d) and (e), apply mutatis mutandis. Rule 43.9 shall apply mutatis mutandis, except that the references therein to Rules 43.3, 43.7 and 44.2 shall be considered non-existent. Article 20(3) and Rule 44.3 shall apply mutatis mutandis.
d) The supplementary international search report need not contain the citation of any document cited in the international search report, except where the document needs to be cited in conjunction with other documents that were not cited in the international search report.
e) The supplementary international search report may contain explanations: (i) with regard to the citations of the documents considered to be relevant;
(ii) with regard to the scope of the supplementary international search.
(i) with regard to the citations of the documents considered to be relevant;
(ii) with regard to the scope of the supplementary international search.
45bis.8. Transmittal and Effect of the Supplementary International Search Report
a) The Authority specified for supplementary search shall, on the same day, transmit one copy of the supplementary international search report or the declaration that no supplementary international search report shall be established, as applicable, to the International Bureau and one copy to the applicant.
b) Subject to paragraph (c), Article 20(1) and Rules 45.1, 47.1(d) and 70.7(a) shall apply as if the supplementary international search report were part of the international search report.
c) A supplementary international search report need not be taken into account by the International Preliminary Examining Authority for the purposes of a written opinion or the international preliminary examination report if it is received by that Authority after it has begun to draw up that opinion or report.
45bis.9. International Searching Authorities Competent to Carry Out Supplementary International Search
a) An International Searching Authority shall be competent to carry out supplementary international searches if its preparedness to do so is stated in the applicable agreement under Article 16(3)(b), subject to any limitations and conditions set out in that agreement.
b) The International Searching Authority carrying out the international search under Article 16(1) in respect of an international application shall not be competent to carry out a supplementary international search in respect of that application.
c) The limitations referred to in paragraph (a) may, for example, include limitations as to the subject matter for which supplementary international searches will be carried out, other than limitations under Article 17(2) as applicable by virtue of Rule 45bis.5(c), limitations as to the total number of supplementary international searches which will be carried out in a given period, and limitations to the effect that the supplementary international searches will not extend to any claim beyond a certain number of claims.

49bis.1. Choice of Certain Kinds of Protection
a) If the applicant wishes the international application to be treated, in a designated State in respect of which Article 43 applies, as an application not for the grant of a patent but for the grant of another kind of protection referred to in that Article, the applicant, when performing the acts referred to in Article 22, shall so indicate to the designated Office.
b) If the applicant wishes the international application to be treated, in a designated State in respect of which Article 44 applies, as an application for the grant of more than one kind of protection referred to in Article 43, the applicant, when performing the acts referred to in Article 22, shall so indicate to the designated Office and shall indicate, if applicable, which kind of protection is sought primarily and which kind is sought subsidiarily.
c) In the cases referred to in paragraphs a) and b), if the applicant wishes the international application to be treated, in a designated State, as an application for a patent of addition, certificate of addition, inventor's certificate of addition or utility certificate of addition, the applicant, when performing the acts referred to in Article 22, shall indicate the relevant parent application, parent patent or other parent grant.
d) If the applicant wishes the international application to be treated, in a designated State, as an application for a continuation or a continuation-in-part of an earlier application, the applicant, when performing the acts referred to in Article 22, shall so indicate to the designated Office and shall indicate the relevant parent application.
e) Where no express indication under paragraph a) is made by the applicant when performing the acts referred to in Article 22 but the national fee referred to in Article 22 paid by the applicant corresponds to the national fee for a particular kind of protection, the payment of that fee shall be considered to be an indication of the wish of the applicant that the international application is to be treated as an application for that kind of protection and the designated Office shall inform the applicant accordingly.
49bis.2. Time of Furnishing Indications
a) No designated Office shall require the applicant to furnish, before performing the acts referred to in Article 22, any indication referred to in Rule 49bis.1 or, where applicable, any indication as to whether the applicant seeks the grant of a national patent or a regional patent.
b) The applicant may, if so permitted by the national law applicable by the designated Office concerned, furnish such indication or, if applicable, convert from one kind of protection to another, at any later time.

49ter.1. Effect of Restoration of Right of Priority by Receiving Office
a) Where the receiving Office has restored a right of priority under Rule 26bis.3 based on a finding by it that the failure to file the international application within the priority period occurred in spite of due care required by the circumstances having been taken, that restoration shall, subject to paragraph c), be effective in each designated State.
b) Where the receiving Office has restored a right of priority under Rule 26bis.3 based on a finding by it that the failure to file the international application within the priority period was unintentional, that restoration shall, subject to paragraph c), be effective in any designated State whose applicable national law provides for restoration of the right of priority based on that criterion or on a criterion which, from the viewpoint of applicants, is more favorable than that criterion.
c) A decision by the receiving Office to restore a right of priority under Rule 26bis.3 shall not be effective in a designated State where the designated Office, a court or any other competent organ of or acting for that designated State finds that a requirement under Rule 26bis.3a), b)(i) or c) was not complied with, taking into account the reasons stated in the request submitted to the receiving Office under Rule 26bis.3a) and any declaration or other evidence filed with the receiving Office under Rule 26bis.3b)(iii).
d) A designated Office shall not review the decision of the receiving Office unless it may reasonably doubt that a requirement referred to in paragraph c) was complied with, in which case the designated Office shall notify the applicant accordingly, indicating the reasons for that doubt and giving the applicant an opportunity to make observations within a reasonable time limit.
e) No designated State shall be bound by a decision of the receiving Office refusing a request under Rule 26bis.3 for restoration of the right of priority.
f) Where the receiving Office has refused a request for the restoration of the right of priority, any designated Office may consider that request to be a request for restoration submitted to that designated Office under Rule 49ter.2a) within the time limit under that Rule.
g) If, on October 5, 2005, paragraphs a) to d) are not compatible with the national law applied by the designated Office, those paragraphs shall not apply in respect of that Office for as long as they continue not to be compatible with that law, provided that the said Office informs the International Bureau accordingly by April 5, 2006. The information received shall be promptly published by the International Bureau in the Gazette.
49ter.2. Restoration of Right of Priority by Designated Office
a) Where the international application claims the priority of an earlier application and has an international filing date which is later than the date on which the priority period expired but within the period of two months from that date, the designated Office shall, on the request of the applicant in accordance with paragraph b), restore the right of priority if the Office finds that a criterion applied by it (“criterion for restoration”) is satisfied, namely, that the failure to file the international application within the priority period: (i) occurred in spite of due care required by the circumstances having been taken; or
(ii) was unintentional. Each designated Office shall apply at least one of those criteria and may apply both of them.
(i) occurred in spite of due care required by the circumstances having been taken; or
(ii) was unintentional.
b) A request under paragraph a) shall: (i) be filed with the designated Office within a time limit of one month from the applicable time limit under Article 22 or, where the applicant makes an express request to the designated Office under Article 23(2), within a time limit of one month from the date of receipt of that request by the designated Office;
(ii) state the reasons for the failure to file the international application within the priority period and preferably be accompanied by any declaration or other evidence required under paragraph c); and
(iii) be accompanied by any fee for requesting restoration required under paragraph d).
(i) be filed with the designated Office within a time limit of one month from the applicable time limit under Article 22 or, where the applicant makes an express request to the designated Office under Article 23(2), within a time limit of one month from the date of receipt of that request by the designated Office;
(ii) state the reasons for the failure to file the international application within the priority period and preferably be accompanied by any declaration or other evidence required under paragraph c); and
(iii) be accompanied by any fee for requesting restoration required under paragraph d).
c) The designated Office may require that a declaration or other evidence in support of the statement of reasons referred to in paragraph b)(ii) be filed with it within a time limit which shall be reasonable under the circumstances.
d) The submission of a request under paragraph a) may be subjected by the designated Office to the payment to it, for its own benefit, of a fee for requesting restoration.
e) The designated Office shall not refuse, totally or in part, a request under paragraph a) without giving the applicant the opportunity to make observations on the intended refusal within a time limit which shall be reasonable under the circumstances. Such notice of intended refusal may be sent by the designated Office to the applicant together with any invitation to file a declaration or other evidence under paragraph c).
f) Where the national law applicable by the designated Office provides, in respect of the restoration of the right of priority, for requirements which, from the viewpoint of applicants, are more favorable than the requirements provided for under paragraphs a) and b), the designated Office may, when determining the right of priority, apply the requirements under the applicable national law instead of the requirements under those paragraphs.
g) Each designated Office shall inform the International Bureau of which of the criteria for restoration it applies, of the requirements, where applicable, of the national law applicable in accordance with paragraph f), and of any subsequent changes in that respect. The International Bureau shall promptly publish such information in the Gazette.
h) If, on October 5, 2005, paragraphs a) to g) are not compatible with the national law applied by the designated Office, those paragraphs shall not apply in respect of that Office for as long as they continue not to be compatible with that law, provided that the said Office informs the International Bureau accordingly by April 5, 2006. The information received shall be promptly published by the International Bureau in the Gazette.

51bis.1. Certain National Requirements Allowed
(a) Subject to Rule 51bis.2, the national law applicable by the designated Office may, in accordance with Article 27, require the applicant to furnish, in particular: (i) any document relating to the identity of the inventor,
(ii) any document relating to the applicant's entitlement to apply for or be granted a patent,
(iii) any document containing any proof of the applicant's entitlement to claim priority of an earlier application where the applicant is not the applicant who filed the earlier application or where the applicant's name has changed since the date on which the earlier application was filed,
(iv) where the international application designates a State whose national law requires, on October 9, 2012, the furnishing of an oath or declaration of inventorship, any document containing an oath or declaration of inventorship,
(v) any evidence concerning non-prejudicial disclosures or exceptions to lack of novelty, such as disclosures resulting from abuse, disclosures at certain exhibitions and disclosures by the applicant during a certain period of time,
(vi) the confirmation of the international application by the signature of any applicant for the designated State who has not signed the request,
(vii) any missing indication required under Rule 4.5(a)(ii) and (iii) in respect of any applicant for the designated State;
(viii) in the cases referred to in Rule 82ter.1, a translation of any erroneously filed element or part removed from the international application in accordance with Rule 20.5bis(b) or (c).
(i) any document relating to the identity of the inventor,
(ii) any document relating to the applicant's entitlement to apply for or be granted a patent,
(iii) any document containing any proof of the applicant's entitlement to claim priority of an earlier application where the applicant is not the applicant who filed the earlier application or where the applicant's name has changed since the date on which the earlier application was filed,
(iv) where the international application designates a State whose national law requires, on October 9, 2012, the furnishing of an oath or declaration of inventorship, any document containing an oath or declaration of inventorship,
(v) any evidence concerning non-prejudicial disclosures or exceptions to lack of novelty, such as disclosures resulting from abuse, disclosures at certain exhibitions and disclosures by the applicant during a certain period of time,
(vi) the confirmation of the international application by the signature of any applicant for the designated State who has not signed the request,
(vii) any missing indication required under Rule 4.5(a)(ii) and (iii) in respect of any applicant for the designated State;
(viii) in the cases referred to in Rule 82ter.1, a translation of any erroneously filed element or part removed from the international application in accordance with Rule 20.5bis(b) or (c).
(b) The national law applicable by the designated Office may, in accordance with Article 27(7), require that (i) the applicant be represented by an agent having the right to represent applicants before that Office and/or have an address in the designated State for the purpose of receiving notifications,
(ii) the agent, if any, representing the applicant be duly appointed by the applicant.
(i) the applicant be represented by an agent having the right to represent applicants before that Office and/or have an address in the designated State for the purpose of receiving notifications,
(ii) the agent, if any, representing the applicant be duly appointed by the applicant.
(c) The national law applicable by the designated Office may, in accordance with Article 27(1), require that the international application, the translation thereof or any document relating thereto be furnished in more than one copy.
(d) The national law applicable by the designated Office may, in accordance with Article 27.2(ii), require that the translation of the international application furnished by the applicant under Article 22 be: (i) verified by the applicant or the person having translated the international application in a statement to the effect that, to the best of his knowledge, the translation is complete and faithful;
(ii) certified by a public authority or sworn translator, but only where the designated Office may reasonably doubt the accuracy of the translation.
(i) verified by the applicant or the person having translated the international application in a statement to the effect that, to the best of his knowledge, the translation is complete and faithful;
(ii) certified by a public authority or sworn translator, but only where the designated Office may reasonably doubt the accuracy of the translation.
(e) The national law applicable by the designated Office may, in accordance with Article 27, require the applicant to furnish a translation of the priority document, provided that such a translation may only be required: (i) where the validity of the priority claim is relevant to the determination of whether the invention concerned is patentable; or
(ii) where the international filing date has been accorded by the receiving Office under Rule 20.3(b)(ii), 20.5(d) or 20.5bis(d) on the basis of the incorporation by reference under Rules 4.18 and 20.6 of an element or part, for the purposes of determining under Rule 82ter.1(b) whether that element or part is completely contained in the priority document concerned, in which case the national law applicable by the designated Office may also require the applicant to furnish, in the case of a part of the description, claims or drawings, an indication as to where that part is contained in the translation of the priority document.
(i) where the validity of the priority claim is relevant to the determination of whether the invention concerned is patentable; or
(ii) where the international filing date has been accorded by the receiving Office under Rule 20.3(b)(ii), 20.5(d) or 20.5bis(d) on the basis of the incorporation by reference under Rules 4.18 and 20.6 of an element or part, for the purposes of determining under Rule 82ter.1(b) whether that element or part is completely contained in the priority document concerned, in which case the national law applicable by the designated Office may also require the applicant to furnish, in the case of a part of the description, claims or drawings, an indication as to where that part is contained in the translation of the priority document.
51bis.2. Certain Circumstances in Which Documents or Evidence May Not Be Required
The designated Office shall not, unless it may reasonably doubt the veracity of the indications or declaration concerned, require any document or evidence:
(i) relating to the identity of the inventor (Rule 51bis.1(a)(i)) (other than a document containing an oath or declaration of inventorship (Rule 51bis.1(a)(iv)), if indications concerning the inventor, in accordance with Rule 4.6, are contained in the request or if a declaration as to the identity of the inventor, in accordance with Rule 4.17(i), is contained in the request or is submitted directly to the designated Office;
(ii) relating to the applicant's entitlement, as at the international filing date, to apply for and be granted a patent (Rule 51bis.1.a)(ii)), if a declaration as to that matter, in accordance with Rule 4.17(ii), is contained in the request or is submitted directly to the designated Office;
(iii) relating to the applicant’s entitlement, as at the international filing date, to claim priority of an earlier application (Rule 51bis.1(a)(iii)), if a declaration as to that matter, in accordance with Rule 4.17(iii), is contained in the request or is submitted directly to the designated Office;
(iv) containing an oath or declaration of inventorship (Rule 51bis.1(a)(iv)), if a declaration of inventorship, in accordance with Rule 4.17(iv), is contained in the request or is submitted directly to the designated Office.
51bis.3. Opportunity to Comply with National Requirements
a) Where any of the requirements referred to in Rule 51bis.1.a)(i) to (iv) and c) to e), or any other requirement of the national law applicable by the designated Office which that Office may apply in accordance with Article 27.1) of 2), is not already fulfilled during the same period within which the requirements under Article 22 must be complied with, the designated Office shall invite the applicant to comply with the requirement within a time limit which shall not be less than two months from the date of the invitation. Each designated Office may require that the applicant pay a fee for complying with national requirements in response to the invitation.
b) Where any requirement of the national law applicable by the designated Office which that Office may apply in accordance with Article 27.6. or 7. is not already fulfilled during the same period within which the requirements under Article 22 must be complied with, the applicant shall have an opportunity to comply with the requirement after the expiration of that period.
c) If, on March 17, 2000, paragraph a) is not compatible with the national law applied by the designated Office in relation to the time limit referred to in that paragraph, the said paragraph shall not apply in respect of that Office in relation to that time limit for as long as the said paragraph continues not to be compatible with that law, provided that the said Office informs the International Bureau accordingly by November 30, 2000. The information received shall be promptly published by the International Bureau in the Gazette.

54bis.1. Time Limit for Making a Demand
a) A demand may be made at any time prior to the expiration of whichever of the following periods expires later: (i) three months from the date of transmittal to the applicant of the international search report or the declaration referred to in Article 17(2)a), and of the written opinion established under Rule 43bis.1; or
(ii) 22 months from the priority date.
(i) three months from the date of transmittal to the applicant of the international search report or the declaration referred to in Article 17(2)a), and of the written opinion established under Rule 43bis.1; or
(ii) 22 months from the priority date.
b) Any demand made after the expiration of the time limit applicable under paragraph a) shall be considered as if it had not been submitted and the International Preliminary Examining Authority shall so declare.

58bis.1. Invitation by the International Preliminary Examining Authority
a) Where the International Preliminary Examining Authority finds: (i) that the amount paid to it is insufficient to cover the handling fee and the preliminary examination fee; or
(ii) by the time they are due under Rules 57.3 and 58.1b), that no fees were paid to it; the Authority shall invite the applicant to pay to it the amount required to cover those fees, together with, where applicable, the late payment fee under Rule 58bis.2, within a time limit of one month from the date of the invitation.
(i) that the amount paid to it is insufficient to cover the handling fee and the preliminary examination fee; or
(ii) by the time they are due under Rules 57.3 and 58.1b), that no fees were paid to it; the Authority shall invite the applicant to pay to it the amount required to cover those fees, together with, where applicable, the late payment fee under Rule 58bis.2, within a time limit of one month from the date of the invitation.
b) Where the International Preliminary Examining Authority has sent an invitation under paragraph a) and the applicant has not, within the time limit referred to in that paragraph, paid in full the amount due, including, where applicable, the late payment fee under Rule 58bis.2, the demand shall, subject to paragraph c), be considered as if it had not been submitted and the International Preliminary Examining Authority shall so declare.
c) Any payment received by the International Preliminary Examining Authority before that Authority sends the invitation under paragraph a) shall be considered to have been received before the expiration of the time limit under Rule 57.3 or 58.1b), as the case may be.
d) Any payment received by the International Preliminary Examining Authority before that Authority proceeds under paragraph b) shall be considered to have been received before the expiration of the time limit under paragraph a).
58bis.2. Late Payment Fee
a) The payment of fees in response to an invitation under Rule 58bis.1a) may be subjected by the International Preliminary Examining Authority to the payment to it, for its own benefit, of a late payment fee. The amount of that fee shall be: (i) 50% of the amount of unpaid fees which is specified in the invitation, or,
(ii) if the amount calculated under item (i) is less than the handling fee, an amount equal to the handling fee.
(i) 50% of the amount of unpaid fees which is specified in the invitation, or,
(ii) if the amount calculated under item (i) is less than the handling fee, an amount equal to the handling fee.
b) The amount of the late payment fee shall not, however, exceed double the amount of the handling fee.

62bis.1. Translation and Observations
a) Upon request of the International Preliminary Examining Authority, the written opinion established under Rule 43bis.1 shall, when not in English or in a language accepted by that Authority, be translated into English by or under the responsibility of the International Bureau.
b) The International Bureau shall transmit a copy of the translation to the International Preliminary Examining Authority within two months from the date of receipt of the request for translation, and shall at the same time transmit a copy to the applicant.
c) The applicant may make written observations as to the correctness of the translation and shall send a copy of the observations to the International Preliminary Examining Authority and to the International Bureau.

70.1. Definition
For the purposes of this Rule, “report” shall mean international preliminary examination report.
70.2. Basis of the Report
(a) If the claims have been amended, the report shall issue on the claims as amended.
(b) If, pursuant to Rule 66.7 (a) or (b), the report is established as if the priority had not been claimed, the report shall so indicate.
(c) If the International Preliminary Examining Authority considers that any amendment goes beyond the disclosure in the international application as filed, the report shall be established as if such amendment had not been made, and the report shall so indicate. It shall also indicate the reasons why it considers that the amendment goes beyond the said disclosure.
(c-bis) If the claims, description or drawings have been amended but the replacement sheet or sheets were not accompanied by a letter indicating the basis for the amendment in the application as filed, as required under Rule 46.5(b)(iii), Rule 46.5(b)(iii) being applicable by virtue of Rule 66.8(c), or Rule 66.8(a), as applicable, the report may be established as if the amendment had not been made, in which case the report shall so indicate.
(d) Where claims relate to inventions in respect of which no international search report has been established and have therefore not been the subject of international preliminary examination, the international preliminary examination report shall so indicate.
(e) If a rectification of an obvious mistake is taken into account under Rule 66.1, the report shall so indicate. If a rectification of an obvious mistake is not taken into account pursuant to Rule 66.4bis, the report shall, if possible, so indicate, failing which the International Preliminary Examining Authority shall notify the International Bureau accordingly and the International Bureau shall proceed as provided for in the Administrative Instructions.
(f) The report shall indicate the date on which a top-up search under Rule 66.1ter was made, or else state that no top-up search was made.
70.3. Identifications
The report shall identify the International Preliminary Examining Authority which established it by indicating the name of such Authority, and the international application by indicating the international application number, the name of the applicant, and the international filing date.
70.4. Dates
The report shall indicate:
(i) the date on which the demand was submitted, and
(ii) the date of the report; that date shall be the date on which the report is completed.
70.5. Classification
(a) The report shall repeat the classification given under Rule 43.3 if the International Preliminary Examining Authority agrees with such classification.
(b) Otherwise, the International Preliminary Examining Authority shall indicate in the report the classification, at least according to the International Patent Classification, which it considers correct.
70.6. Statement underArticle 35(2)
(a) The statement referred to in Article 35(2) shall consist of the words “YES” or “NO”, or their equivalent in the language of the report, or some appropriate sign provided for in the Administrative Instructions, and shall be accompanied by the citations, explanations and observations, if any, referred to in the last sentence of Article 35(2).
(b) If any of the three criteria referred to in Article 35(2) (that is, novelty, inventive step (non-obviousness), industrial applicability) is not satisfied, the statement shall be negative. If, in such a case, any of the criteria, taken separately, is satisfied, the report shall specify the criterion or criteria so satisfied.
70.7. Citations Under Article 35(2)
(a) The report shall cite the documents considered to be relevant for supporting the statements made under Article 35(2), whether or not such documents are cited in the international search report. Documents cited in the international search report need only be cited in the report when they are considered by the International Preliminary Examining Authority to be relevant.
(b) The provisions of Rule 43.5 (b) and (e) shall apply also to the report.
70.8. Explanations underArticle 35(2)
The Administrative Instructions shall contain guidelines for cases in which the explanations referred to in Article 35(2) should or should not be given and the form of such explanations. Such guidelines shall be based on the following principles:
(i) explanations shall be given whenever the statement in relation to any claim is negative;
(ii) explanations shall be given whenever the statement is positive unless the reason for citing any document is easy to imagine on the basis of consultation of the cited document;
(iii) generally, explanations shall be given if the case provided for in the last sentence of Rule 70.6 (b) obtains.
70.9. Non-Written Disclosures
Any non-written disclosure referred to in the report by virtue of Rule 64.2 shall be mentioned by indicating its kind, the date on which the written disclosure referring to the non-written disclosure was made available to the public, and the date on which the non-written disclosure occurred in public.
70.10. Certain Published Documents
Any published application or any patent referred to in the report by virtue of Rule 64.3 shall be mentioned as such and shall be accompanied by an indication of its date of publication, of its filing date, and its claimed priority date (if any). In respect of the priority date of any such document, the report may indicate that, in the opinion of the International Preliminary Examining Authority, such date has not been validly claimed.
70.11. Mention of Amendments
If, before the International Preliminary Examining Authority, amendments have been made, this fact shall be indicated in the report. Where any amendment has resulted in the cancellation of an entire sheet, this fact shall also be specified in the report.
70.12. Mention of Certain Defects and Other Matters
If the International Preliminary Examining Authority considers that, at the time it prepares the report:
(i) the international application contains any of the defects referred to in Rule 66.2(a)(iii), it shall include this opinion and the reasons therefor in the report;
(ii) the international application calls for any of the observations referred to in Rule 66.2(a)(v), it may include this opinion in the report and, if it does, it shall also indicate in the report the reasons for such opinion;
(iii) any of the situations referred to in Article 34(4) exists, it shall state this opinion and the reasons therefor in the report;
(iv) a nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence listing is not available to it in such a form that a meaningful international preliminary examination can be carried out, it shall so state in the report.
70.13. Remarks Concerning Unity of Invention
If the applicant paid additional fees for the international preliminary examination, or if the international application or the international preliminary examination was restricted under Article 34(3), the report shall so indicate. Furthermore, where the international preliminary examination was carried out on restricted claims (Article 34(3)(a)), or on the main invention only (Article 34(3)(c)), the report shall indicate what parts of the international application were and what parts were not the subject of international preliminary examination. The report shall contain the indications provided for in Rule 68.1, where the International Preliminary Examining Authority chose not to invite the applicant to restrict the claims or to pay additional fees.
70.14. Authorized Officer
The report shall indicate the name of the officer of the International Preliminary Examining Authority responsible for that report.
70.15. Form; Title
a) The physical requirements as to the form of the report shall be prescribed by the Administrative Instructions.
b) The report shall bear the title “international preliminary report on patentability (Chapter II of the Patent Cooperation Treaty)” together with an indication that it is the international preliminary examination report established by the International Preliminary Examining Authority.
70.16. Annexes to the Report
(a) The following replacement sheets and letters shall be annexed to the report: (i) each replacement sheet under Rule 66.8 containing amendments under Article 34 and each letter under Rule 66.8(a), Rule 66.8(b) and Rule 46.5(b) as applicable by virtue of Rule 66.8(c);
(ii) each replacement sheet under Rule 46.5 containing amendments under Article 19 and each letter under Rule 46.5; and
(iii) each replacement sheet under Rule 26.4 as applicable by virtue of Rule 91.2 containing a rectification of an obvious mistake authorized by that Authority under Rule 91.1(b)(iii) and each letter under Rule 26.4 as applicable by virtue of Rule 91.2; unless any such replacement sheet has been superseded or considered reversed by a later replacement sheet or an amendment resulting in the cancellation of an entire sheet under Rule 66.8(b); and (iv) where the report contains an indication referred to in Rule 70.2(e), any sheet and letter relating to a rectification of an obvious mistake which is not taken into account pursuant to Rule 66.4bis.
(i) each replacement sheet under Rule 66.8 containing amendments under Article 34 and each letter under Rule 66.8(a), Rule 66.8(b) and Rule 46.5(b) as applicable by virtue of Rule 66.8(c);
(ii) each replacement sheet under Rule 46.5 containing amendments under Article 19 and each letter under Rule 46.5; and
(iii) each replacement sheet under Rule 26.4 as applicable by virtue of Rule 91.2 containing a rectification of an obvious mistake authorized by that Authority under Rule 91.1(b)(iii) and each letter under Rule 26.4 as applicable by virtue of Rule 91.2;
(iv) where the report contains an indication referred to in Rule 70.2(e), any sheet and letter relating to a rectification of an obvious mistake which is not taken into account pursuant to Rule 66.4bis.
(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), each superseded or reversed replacement sheet referred to in that paragraph and any letter referred to in that paragraph relating to such superseded or reversed sheet shall also be annexed to the report where: (i) the International Preliminary Examining Authority considers that the relevant superseding or reversing amendment goes beyond the disclosure in the international application as filed and the report contains an indication referred to in Rule 70.2(c);
(ii) the relevant superseding or reversing amendment was not accompanied by a letter indicating the basis for the amendment in the application as filed and the report is established as if the amendment had not been made and contains an indication referred to in Rule 70.2(c-bis). In such a case, the superseded or reversed replacement sheet shall be marked as provided by the Administrative Instructions.
(i) the International Preliminary Examining Authority considers that the relevant superseding or reversing amendment goes beyond the disclosure in the international application as filed and the report contains an indication referred to in Rule 70.2(c);
(ii) the relevant superseding or reversing amendment was not accompanied by a letter indicating the basis for the amendment in the application as filed and the report is established as if the amendment had not been made and contains an indication referred to in Rule 70.2(c-bis).
70.17. Languages of the Report and the Annexes
The report and any annex shall be in the language in which the international application to which they relate is published, or, if the international preliminary examination is carried out, pursuant to Rule 55.2, on the basis of a translation of the international application, in the language of that translation.

71.1. Recipients
(a) The International Preliminary Examining Authority shall, on the same day, transmit one copy of the international preliminary examination report and its annexes, if any, to the International Bureau, and one copy to the applicant.
(b) The International Preliminary Examining Authority shall transmit copies of other documents from the file of the international preliminary examination to the International Bureau in accordance with the Administrative Instructions.
71.2. Copies of Cited Documents
(a) The request under Article 36(4) may be presented any time during 7 years from the international filing date of the international application to which the report relates.
(b) The International Preliminary Examining Authority may require that the party (applicant or elected Office) presenting the request pay to it the cost of preparing and mailing the copies. The level of the cost of preparing copies shall be provided for in the agreements referred to in Article 32(2) between the International Preliminary Examining Authorities and the International Bureau.
(c) Vervallen.
(d) Any International Preliminary Examining Authority may perform the obligations referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b) through another agency responsible to it.

72.1. Languages
(a) Any elected State may require that the international preliminary examination report, established in any language other than the official language, or one of the official languages, of its national Office, be translated into English.
(b) Any such requirement shall be notified to the International Bureau, which shall promptly publish it in the Gazette.
72.2. Copy of Translation for the Applicant
The International Bureau shall transmit a copy of the translation referred to in Rule 72.1(a) of the international preliminary examination report to the applicant at the same time as it communicates such translation to the interested elected Office or Offices.
72.2bis. Translation of the Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority Established Under Rule 43bis.1
In the case referred to in Rule 73.2b)(ii), the written opinion established by the International Searching Authority under Rule 43bis.1 shall, upon request of the elected Office concerned, be translated into English by or under the responsibility of the International Bureau. The International Bureau shall transmit a copy of the translation to the elected Office concerned within two months from the date of receipt of the request for translation, and shall at the same time transmit a copy to the applicant.
72.3. Observations on the Translation
The applicant may make written observations as to the correctness of the translation of the international preliminary examination report or of the written opinion established by the International Searching Authority under Rule 43bis.1 and shall send a copy of the observations to each of the interested elected Offices and to the International Bureau.

73.1. Preparation of Copies
The International Bureau shall prepare the copies of the documents to be communicated under Article 36(3)(a).
73.2. Communication to Elected Offices
a) The International Bureau shall effect the communication provided for in Article 36(3)a) to each elected Office in accordance with Rule 93bis.1 but not before the expiration of 30 months from the priority date.
b) Where the applicant makes an express request to an elected Office under Article 40(2), the International Bureau shall, upon the request of that Office or of the applicant, (i) if the international preliminary examination report has already been transmitted to the International Bureau under Rule 71.1, promptly effect the communication provided for in Article 36(3)a) to that Office;
(ii) if the international preliminary examination report has not been transmitted to the International Bureau under Rule 71.1, promptly communicate a copy of the written opinion established by the International Searching Authority under Rule 43bis.1 to that Office.
(i) if the international preliminary examination report has already been transmitted to the International Bureau under Rule 71.1, promptly effect the communication provided for in Article 36(3)a) to that Office;
(ii) if the international preliminary examination report has not been transmitted to the International Bureau under Rule 71.1, promptly communicate a copy of the written opinion established by the International Searching Authority under Rule 43bis.1 to that Office.
c) Where the applicant has withdrawn the demand or any or all elections, the communication provided for in paragraph a) shall nevertheless be effected, if the International Bureau has received the international preliminary examination report, to the elected Office or Offices affected by the withdrawal.

74.1. Contents of Translation and Time Limit for Transmittal Thereof
a) Where the furnishing of a translation of the international application is required by the elected Office under Article 39.1), the applicant shall, within the time limit applicable under Article 39.1), transmit a translation of any replacement sheet referred to in Rule 70.16 which is annexed to the international preliminary examination report, unless such sheet is in the language of the required translation of the international application. The same time limit shall apply where the furnishing of a translation of the international application to the elected Office must, because of a declaration made under Article 64.2.a)i), be effected within the time limit applicable under Article 22.
b) Where the furnishing under Article 39.1) of a translation of the international application is not required by the elected Office, that Office may require the applicant to furnish, within the time limit applicable under that Article, a translation into the language in which the international application was published of any replacement sheet referred to in Rule 70.16 which is annexed to the international preliminary examination report and is not in that language.

Vervallen

76.1. Vervallen.
76.2. Vervallen.
76.3. Vervallen.
76.4. Time Limit for Translation of priority Document
The applicant shall not be required to furnish to any elected Office a translation of the priority document before the expiration of the applicable time limit under Article 39.
76.5. Application of Certain Rules to Procedures before Elected Office
Rules 13ter.3, 20.8(c), 22.1(g), 47.1, 49, 49bis, 49ter and 51bis shall apply, provided that:
(i) any reference in the said Rules to the designated Office or to the designated State shall be construed as a reference to the elected Office or to the elected State, respectively;
(ii) any reference in the said Rules to Article 22, Article 23(2) or Article 24(2) shall be construed as a reference to Article 39(1), Article 40(2) or Article 39(3), respectively;
(iii) the words “international applications filed” in Rule 49.1(c) shall be replaced by the words “a demand submitted”;
(iv) for the purposes of Article 39(1), where an international preliminary examination report has been established, a translation of any amendment under Article 19 shall only be required if that amendment is annexed to that report;
(v) the reference in Rule 47.1a) to Rule 47.4 shall be construed as a reference to Rule 61.2d).

77.1. Exercise of Faculty
(a) Any Contracting State allowing a time limit expiring later than the time limit provided for in Article 39(1)(a) shall notify the International Bureau of the time limit so fixed.
(b) Any notification received by the International Bureau under paragraph (a) shall be promptly published by the International Bureau in the Gazette.
(c) Notifications concerning the shortening of the previously fixed time limit shall be effective in relation to demands submitted after the expiration of 3 months computed from the date on which the notification was published by the International Bureau.
(d) Notifications concerning the lengthening of the previously fixed time limit shall become effective upon publication by the International Bureau in the Gazette in respect of demands pending at the time or submitted after the date of such publication or, if the Contracting State effecting the notification fixes some later date, as from the latter date.

78.1. Time Limit
a) The applicant shall, if he so wishes, exercise the right under Article 41 to amend the claims, the description and the drawings, before the elected Office concerned within one month from the fulfillment of the requirements under Article 39(1)a), provided that, if the transmittal of the international preliminary examination report under Article 36(1) has not taken place by the expiration of the time limit applicable under Article 39, he shall exercise the said right not later than four months after such expiration date. In either case, the applicant may exercise the said right at any later time if so permitted by the national law of the said State.
b) In any elected State in which the national law provides that examination starts only on special request, the national law may provide that the time limit within or the time at which the applicant may exercise the right under Article 41 shall be the same as that provided by the national law for the filing of amendments in the case of the examination, on special request, of national applications, provided that such time limit shall not expire prior to, or such time shall not come before, the expiration of the time limit applicable under paragraph a).
78.2. Vervallen.
78.3. Utility Models
The provisions of Rules 6.5 and 13.5 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, before elected Offices. If the election was made before the expiration of the 19th month from the priority date, the reference to the time limit applicable under Article 22 is replaced by a reference to the time limit applicable under Article 39.

79.1. Expressing Dates
Applicants, national Offices, receiving Offices, International Searching and Preliminary Examining Authorities, and the International Bureau, shall, for the purposes of the Treaty and the Regulations, express any date in terms of the Christian era and the Gregorian calendar, or, if they use other eras and calendars, they shall also express any date in terms of the Christian era and the Gregorian calendar.

80.1. Periods Expressed in Years
When a period is expressed as one year or a certain number of years, computation shall start on the day following the day on which the relevant event occurred, and the period shall expire in the relevant subsequent year in the month having the same name and on the day having the same number as the month and the day on which the said event occurred provided that if the relevant subsequent month has no day with the same number the period shall expire on the last day of that month.
80.2. Periods Expressed in Months
When a period is expressed as one month or a certain number of months, computation shall start on the day following the day on which the relevant event occurred, and the period shall expire in the relevant subsequent month on the day which has the same number as the day on which the said event occurred, provided that if the relevant subsequent month has no day with the same number the period shall expire on the last day of that month.
80.3. Periods Expressed in Days
When a period is expressed as a certain number of days, computation shall start on the day following the day on which the relevant event occurred, and the period shall expire on the day on which the last day of the count has been reached.
80.4. Local Dates
(a) The date which is taken into consideration as the starting date of the computation of any period shall be the date which prevails in the locality at the time when the relevant event occurred.
(b) The date on which any period expires shall be the date which prevails in the locality in which the required document must be filed or the required fee must be paid.
80.5. Expiration on a Non-Working Day or Official Holiday
If the expiration of any period during which any document or fee must reach a national Office or intergovernmental organization falls on a day:
(i) on which such Office or organization is not open to the public for the purposes of the transaction of official business;
(ii) on which ordinary mail is not delivered in the locality in which such Office or organization is situated;
(iii) which, where such Office or organization is situated in more than one locality, is an official holiday in at least one of the localities in which such Office or organization is situated, and in circumstances where the national law applicable by that Office or organization provides, in respect of national applications, that, in such a case, such period shall expire on a subsequent day; or
(iv) which, where such Office is the government authority of a Contracting State entrusted with the granting of patents, is an official holiday in part of that Contracting State, and in circumstances where the national law applicable by that Office provides, in respect of national applications, that, in such a case, such period shall expire on a subsequent day;
the period shall expire on the next subsequent day on which none of the said four circumstances exists.
80.6. Date of Documents
Where a period starts on the day of the date of a document or letter emanating from a national Office or intergovernmental organization, any interested party may prove that the said document or letter was mailed on a day later than the date it bears, in which case the date of actual mailing shall, for the purposes of computing the period, be considered to be the date on which the period starts. Irrespective of the date on which such a document or letter was mailed, if the applicant offers to the national Office or intergovernmental organization evidence which satisfies the national Office or intergovernmental organization that the document or letter was received more than 7 days after the date it bears, the national Office or intergovernmental organization shall treat the period starting from the date of the document or letter as expiring later by an additional number of days which is equal to the number of days which the document or letter was received later than 7 days after the date it bears.
80.7. End of Working Day
(a) A period expiring on a given day shall expire at the moment the national Office or intergovernmental organization with which the document must be filed or to which the fee must be paid closes for business on that day.
(b) Any Office or organization may depart from the provisions of paragraph (a) up to midnight on the relevant day.

81.1. Proposal
(a) Any Contracting State or the Director General may propose a modification under Article 47(2).
(b) Proposals made by a Contracting State shall be presented to the Director General.
81.2. Decision by the Assembly
(a) When the proposal is made to the Assembly, its text shall be sent by the Director General to all Contracting States at least 2 months in advance of that session of the Assembly whose agenda includes the proposal.
(b) During the discussion of the proposal in the Assembly, the proposal may be amended or consequential amendments proposed.
(c) The proposal shall be considered adopted if none of the Contracting States present at the time of voting votes against the proposal.
81.3. Voting by Correspondence
(a) When voting by correspondence is chosen, the proposal shall be included in a written communication from the Director General to the Contracting States, inviting them to express their vote in writing.
(b) The invitation shall fix the time limit within which the reply containing the vote expressed in writing must reach the International Bureau. That time limit shall not be less than 3 months from the date of the invitation.
(c) Replies must be either positive or negative. Proposals for amendments or mere observations shall not be regarded as votes.
(d) The proposal shall be considered adopted if none of the Contracting States opposes the amendment and if at least one-half of the Contracting States express either approval or indifference or abstention.

82.1. Delay or Loss in Mail
(a) Any interested party may offer evidence that he has mailed the document or letter 5 days prior to the expiration of the time limit. Except in cases where surface mail normally arrives at its destination within 2 days of mailing, or where no airmail service is available, such evidence may be offered only if the mailing was by airmail. In any case, evidence may be offered only if the mailing was by mail registered by the postal authorities.
(b) If the mailing, in accordance with paragraph (a), of a document or letter is proven to the satisfaction of the national Office or intergovernmental organization which is the addressee, delay in arrival shall be excused, or, if the document or letter is lost in the mail, substitution for it of a new copy shall be permitted, provided that the interested party proves to the satisfaction of the said Office or organization that the document or letter offered in substitution is identical with the document or letter lost.
(c) In the cases provided for in paragraph (b), evidence of mailing within the prescribed time limit, and, where the document or letter was lost, the substitute document or letter as well as the evidence concerning its identity with the document or letter lost shall be submitted within 1 month after the date on which the interested party noticed - or with due diligence should have noticed - the delay or the loss, and in no case later than 6 months after the expiration of the time limit applicable in the given case.
(d) Any national Office or intergovernmental organization which has notified the International Bureau that it will do so shall, where a delivery service other than the postal authorities is used to mail a document or letter, apply the provisions of paragraphs (a) to (c) as if the delivery service was a postal authority. In such a case, the last sentence of paragraph (a) shall not apply but evidence may be offered only if details of the mailing were recorded by the delivery service at the time of mailing. The notification may contain an indication that it applies only to mailings using specified delivery services or delivery services which satisfy specified criteria. The International Bureau shall publish the information so notified in the Gazette.
(e) Any national Office or intergovernmental organization may proceed under paragraph (d): (i) even if, where applicable, the delivery service used was not one of those specified, or did not satisfy the criteria specified, in the relevant notification under paragraph (d), or
(ii) even if that Office or organization has not sent to the International Bureau a notification under paragraph (d).
(i) even if, where applicable, the delivery service used was not one of those specified, or did not satisfy the criteria specified, in the relevant notification under paragraph (d), or
(ii) even if that Office or organization has not sent to the International Bureau a notification under paragraph (d).
82.2. Vervallen.

82bis. 1. Meaning of “Time Limit” in Article 48(2)
The reference to “any time limit” in Article 48(2) shall be construed as comprising a reference:
(i) to any time limit fixed in the Treaty or these Regulations;
(ii) to any time limit fixed by the receiving Office, the International Searching Authority, the International Preliminary Examining Authority or the International Bureau or applicable by the receiving Office under its national law;
(iii) to any time limit fixed by, or in the national law applicable by, the designated or elected Office, for the performance of any act by the applicant before that Office.
82bis.2. Reinstatement of Rights and Other Provisions to which Article 48(2) Applies
The provisions of the national law which is referred to in Article 48(2) concerning the excusing, by the designated or elected State, of any delay in meeting any time limit are those provisions which provide for reinstatement of rights, restoration, restitutio in integrum or further processing in spite of non-compliance with a time limit, and any other provision providing for the extension of time limits or for excusing delays in meeting time limits.

82quater.1. Excuse of Delay in Meeting Time Limits
(a) Any interested party may offer evidence that a time limit fixed in the Regulations for performing an action before the receiving Office, the International Searching Authority, the Authority specified for supplementary search, the International Preliminary Examining Authority or the International Bureau was not met due to war, revolution, civil disorder, strike, natural calamity, epidemic, a general unavailability of electronic communications services or other like reason in the locality where the interested party resides, has his place of business or is staying, and that the relevant action was taken as soon as reasonably possible.
(b) Any such evidence shall be addressed to the Office, Authority or the International Bureau, as the case may be, not later than six months after the expiration of the time limit applicable in the given case. If such circumstances are proven to the satisfaction of the addressee, delay in meeting the time limit shall be excused.
(c) The excuse of a delay need not be taken into account by any designated or elected Office before which the applicant, at the time the decision to excuse the delay is taken, has already performed the acts referred to in Article 22 or Article 39.
(d) The need for evidence may be waived by the Office, Authority or the International Bureau under the conditions set and published by that Office, Authority or the International Bureau, as the case may be. In such case, the interested party must submit a statement that the failure to meet the time limit was due to the reason for which the Office, Authority or the International Bureau waived the requirement concerning the submission of evidence. The Office or Authority shall notify the International Bureau accordingly.
82quater.2. Unavailability of Electronic Means of Communication at the Office
(a) Any national Office or intergovernmental organization may provide that, where a time limit fixed in the Regulations for performing an action before that Office or organization is not met due to the unavailability of any of the permitted electronic means of communication at that Office or organization, delay in meeting that time limit shall be excused, provided that the respective action was performed on the next working day on which the said electronic means of communication were available. The Office or organization concerned shall publish information on any such unavailability including the period of the unavailability, and notify the International Bureau accordingly.
(b) The excuse of a delay in meeting a time limit under paragraph (a) need not be taken into account by any designated or elected Office before which the applicant, at the time the information referred to in paragraph (a) is published, has already performed the acts referred to in Article 22 or Article 39.
82quater.3. Extension of Time Limits due to General Disruption
a) Any receiving Office, International Searching Authority, Authority specified for supplementary search, International Preliminary Examining Authority or the International Bureau may establish a period of extension such that time limits fixed in the Regulations within which a party has to perform an action before that Office, Authority or International Bureau may be extended when the State in which it is located is experiencing a general disruption caused by an event listed in Rule 82quater.1(a) which affects the operations at the said Office, Authority or International Bureau thereby interfering with the ability of parties to perform actions before that Office, Authority or International Bureau within the time limits fixed in the Regulations. The Office, Authority or the International Bureau shall publish the commencement and the end date of any such period of extension. The period of extension shall not be longer than two months from the date of commencement. The Office or Authority shall notify the International Bureau accordingly.
b) After establishing a period of extension under paragraph (a), the Office, Authority or the International Bureau concerned may establish additional periods of extension, if necessary under the circumstances. In that case, paragraph (a) applies mutatis mutandis.
c) The extension of a time limit under paragraph (a) or (b) need not be taken into account by any designated or elected Office if, at the time the information referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) is published, national processing before that Office has started.

82ter.1. Errors Concerning the International Filing Date and the Priority Claim
a) If the applicant proves to the satisfaction of any designated or elected Office that the international filing date is incorrect due to an error made by the receiving Office or that the priority claim has been erroneously considered void by the receiving Office or the International Bureau, and if the error is an error such that, had it been made by the designated or elected Office itself, that Office would rectify it under the national law or national practice, the said Office shall rectify the error and shall treat the international application as if it had been accorded the rectified international filing date or as if the priority claim had not been considered void.
b) Where the international filing date has been accorded by the receiving Office under Rule 20.3(b)(ii), 20.5(d) or 20.5bis(d) on the basis of the incorporation by reference under Rules 4.18 and 20.6 of an element or part but the designated or elected Office finds that: (i) the applicant has not complied with Rule 17.1(a), (b) or (b-bis) in relation to the priority document;
(ii) a requirement under Rule 4.18, 20.6(a)(i) or 51bis.1(e)(ii) has not been complied with; or
(iii) the element or part is not completely contained in the priority document concerned; the designated or elected Office may, subject to paragraph (c), treat the international application as if the international filing date had been accorded under Rule 20.3(b)(i), 20.5(b) or 20.5bis(b), or corrected under Rule 20.5(c) or 20.5bis(c), as applicable, provided that Rule 17.1(c) shall apply mutatis mutandis.
(i) the applicant has not complied with Rule 17.1(a), (b) or (b-bis) in relation to the priority document;
(ii) a requirement under Rule 4.18, 20.6(a)(i) or 51bis.1(e)(ii) has not been complied with; or
(iii) the element or part is not completely contained in the priority document concerned;
c) The designated or elected Office shall not treat the international application under paragraph (b) as if the international filing date had been accorded under Rule 20.3(b)(i), 20.5(b) or 20.5bis(b), or corrected under Rule 20.5(c) or 20.5bis(c), without giving the applicant the opportunity to make observations on the intended treatment, or to make a request under paragraph (d), within a time limit which shall be reasonable under the circumstances.
d) Where the designated or elected Office, in accordance with paragraph (c), has notified the applicant that it intends to treat the international application as if the international filing date had been corrected under Rule 20.5(c) or 20.5bis(c), the applicant may, in a notice submitted to that Office within the time limit referred to in paragraph (c), request that the missing part concerned, or the correct element or part concerned, be disregarded for the purposes of national processing before that Office, in which case that missing part, or that correct element or part, shall be considered not to have been furnished and that Office shall not treat the international application as if the international filing date had been corrected.

83.1. Proof of Right
The International Bureau, the competent International Searching Authority, and the competent International Preliminary Examining Authority, may require the production of proof of the right to practice referred to in Article 49.
83.1 bis. Where the International Bureau Is the Receiving Office
a) Any person who has the right to practice before the national Office of, or acting for, a Contracting State of which the applicant or, if there are two or more applicants, any of the applicants is a resident or national shall be entitled to practice in respect of the international application before the International Bureau in its capacity as receiving Office under Rule 19.1 (a)(iii).
b) Any person having the right to practice before the International Bureau in its capacity as receiving Office in respect of an international application shall be entitled to practice in respect of that application before the International Bureau in any other capacity and before the competent International Searching Authority and competent International Preliminary Examining Authority.
83.2. Information
(a) The national Office or the intergovernmental organization which the interested person is alleged to have a right to practice before shall, upon request, inform the International Bureau, the competent International Searching Authority, or the competent International Preliminary Examining Authority, whether such person has the right to practice before it.
(b) Such information shall be binding upon the International Bureau, the International Searching Authority, or the International Preliminary Examining Authority, as the case may be.

84.1. Expenses Borne by Governments
The expenses of each Delegation participating in any organ established by or under the Treaty shall be borne by the Government which has appointed it.

85.1. Voting by Correspondence
In the case provided for in Article 53(5) (b) the International Bureau shall communicate the decisions of the Assembly (other than those concerning the Assembly's own procedure) to the Contracting States which were not represented and shall invite them to express in writing their vote or abstention within a period of 3 months from the date of the communication. If, at the expiration of that period, the number of Contracting States having thus expressed their vote or abstention attains the number of Contracting States which was lacking for attaining the quorum in the session itself, such decisions shall take effect provided that at the same time the required majority still obtains.

86.1. Contents
The Gazette referred to in Article 55(4) shall contain:
(i) for each published international application, the data specified by the Administrative Instructions taken from the front page of the publication of the international application, the drawing (if any) appearing on the said front page, and the abstract;
(ii) the schedule of all fees payable to the receiving Offices, the International Bureau, and the International Searching and Preliminary Examining Authorities;
(iii) notices the publication of which is required under the Treaty or these Regulations;
(iv) information concerning events at the designated and elected Offices notified to the International Bureau under Rule 95.1 in relation to published international applications;
(v) any other useful information prescribed by the Administrative Instructions, provided access to such information is not prohibited under the Treaty or these Regulations.
86.2. Languages; Form and Means of Publication; Timing
(a) The Gazette shall be published in English and French at the same time. The translations shall be ensured by the International Bureau in English and French.
(b) The Assembly may order the publication of the Gazette in languages other than those referred to in paragraph (a).
(c) The form in which and the means by which the Gazette is published shall be governed by the Administrative Instructions.
(d) The International Bureau shall ensure that, for each published international application, the information referred to in Rule 86.1(i) is published in the Gazette on, or as soon as possible after, the date of publication of the international application.
86.3. Frequency
The frequency of publication of the Gazette shall be determined by the Director General.
86.4. Sale
The subscription and other sale prices of the Gazette shall be determined by the Director General.
86.5. Title
The title of the Gazette shall be determined by the Director General.
86.6. Further Details
Further details concerning the Gazette may be provided for in the Administrative Instructions.

88.1. Requirement of Unanimity
Amendment of the following provisions of these Regulations shall require that no State having the right to vote in the Assembly vote against the proposed amendment:
(i) Rule 14.1 (Transmittal Fee),
(ii) vervallen,
(iii) Rule 22.3 (Time Limit Under Article 12(3)),
(iv) Rule 33 (Relevant Prior Art for International Search),
(v) Rule 64 (Prior Art for International Preliminary Examination),
(vi) Rule 81 (Modification of Time Limits Fixed in the Treaty),
vii) the present paragraph (i.e., Rule 88.1).
88.2. Vervallen.
88.3. Requirement of Absence of Opposition by Certain States
Amendment of the following provisions of these Regulations shall require that no State referred to in Article 58(3) (a) (ii) and having the right to vote in the Assembly vote against the proposed amendment:
(i) Rule 34 (Minimum Documentation),
(ii) Rule 39 (Subject Matter Under Article 17(2) (a) (i)),
(iii) Rule 67 (Subject Matter Under Article 34(4) (a) (i)),
(iv) the present paragraph (i.e., Rule 88.3).
88.4. Procedure
Any proposal for amending a provision referred to in Rules 88.1 or 88.3 shall, if the proposal is to be decided upon in the Assembly, be communicated to all Contracting States at least 2 months prior to the opening of that session of the Assembly which is called upon to make a decision on the proposal.

89.1. Scope
(a) The Administrative Instructions shall contain provisions: (i) concerning matters in respect of which these Regulations expressly refer to such Instructions,
(ii) concerning any details in respect of the application of these Regulations.
(i) concerning matters in respect of which these Regulations expressly refer to such Instructions,
(ii) concerning any details in respect of the application of these Regulations.
(b) The Administrative Instructions shall not be in conflict with the provisions of the Treaty, these Regulations, or any agreement concluded by the International Bureau with an International Searching Authority, or an International Preliminary Examining Authority.
89.2. Source
(a) The Administrative Instructions shall be drawn up and promulgated by the Director General after consultation with the receiving Offices and the International Searching and Preliminary Examining Authorities.
(b) They may be modified by the Director General after consultation with the Offices or Authorities which have a direct interest in the proposed modification.
(c) The Assembly may invite the Director General to modify the Administrative Instructions, and the Director General shall proceed accordingly.
89.3. Publication and Entry Into Force
(a) The Administrative Instructions and any modification thereof shall be published in the Gazette.
(b) Each publication shall specify the date on which the published provisions come into effect. The dates may be different for different provisions, provided that no provision may be declared effective prior to its publication in the Gazette.

89bis.1. International Applications
a) International applications may, subject to paragraphs (b) to (e), be filed and processed in electronic form or by electronic means, in accordance with the Administrative Instructions.
b) These Regulations shall apply mutatis mutandis to international applications filed in electronic form or by electronic means, subject to any special provisions of the Administrative Instructions.
c) The Administrative Instructions shall set out the provisions and requirements in relation to the filing and processing of international applications filed, in whole or in part, in electronic form or by electronic means, including but not limited to, provisions and requirements in relation to acknowledgment of receipt, procedures relating to the according of an international filing date, physical requirements and the consequences of non-compliance with those requirements, signature of documents, means of authentication of documents and of the identity of parties communicating with Offices and authorities, and the operation of Article 12 in relation to the home copy, the record copy and the search copy, and may contain different provisions and requirements in relation to international applications filed in different languages.
d) No national Office or intergovernmental organization shall be obliged to receive or process international applications filed in electronic form or by electronic means unless it has notified the International Bureau that it is prepared to do so in compliance with the applicable provisions of the Administrative Instructions. The International Bureau shall publish the information so notified in the Gazette.
d-bis) A national Office or intergovernmental organization, other than the International Bureau, that has made a notification under paragraph (d) may notify the International Bureau that it will only receive international applications if they are filed in electronic form or by electronic means. The International Bureau shall publish a notification made under this paragraph in the Gazette.
d-ter) A national Office or intergovernmental organization that has made a notification under paragraph (d) but not paragraph (d-bis) may notify the International Bureau that any application filed on paper must be resubmitted by electronic means within two months from the date of an invitation by such Office or organization. If corresponding documents are not timely received, the international application shall be considered withdrawn and the receiving Office shall so declare. The International Bureau shall publish a notification made under this paragraph in the Gazette.
e) No receiving Office which has given the International Bureau a notification under paragraph d) may refuse to process an international application filed in electronic form or by electronic means which complies with the applicable requirements under the Administrative Instructions.
89bis.2. Other Documents
Rule 89bis.1 shall apply mutatis mutandis to other documents and correspondence relating to international applications, provided that, where a national Office or intergovernmental organization has made a notification under Rule 89bis.1(d-ter), any such documents or correspondence filed on paper and not resubmitted by electronic means within two months from the date of a corresponding invitation shall be disregarded.
89bis.3. Communication Between Offices
Where the Treaty, these Regulations or the Administrative Instructions provide for the communication, notification or transmittal (“communication”) of an international application, notification, communication, correspondence or other document by one national Office or intergovernmental organization to another, such communication may, where so agreed by both the sender and the receiver, be effected in electronic form or by electronic means.

89ter.1. Copies in Electronic Form of Documents Filed on Paper
Any national Office or intergovernmental organization may provide that, where an international application or other document relating to an international application is filed on paper, a copy thereof in electronic form, in accordance with the Administrative Instructions, may be furnished by the applicant.

90.1. Appointment as Agent
a) A person having the right to practice before the national Office with which the international application is filed or, where the international application is filed with the International Bureau, having the right to practice in respect of the international application before the International Bureau as receiving Office may be appointed by the applicant as his agent to represent him before the receiving Office, the International Bureau, the International Searching Authority, any Authority specified for supplementary search and the International Preliminary Examining Authority.
b) A person having the right to practice before the national Office or intergovernmental organization which acts as the International Searching Authority may be appointed by the applicant as his agent to represent him specifically before that Authority.
b-bis) A person having the right to practice before the national Office or intergovernmental organization which acts as the Authority specified for supplementary search may be appointed by the applicant as his agent to represent him specifically before that Authority.
c) A person having the right to practice before the national Office or intergovernmental organization which acts as the International Preliminary Examining Authority may be appointed by the applicant as his agent to represent him specifically before that Authority.
d) An agent appointed under paragraph (a) may, unless otherwise indicated in the document appointing him, appoint one or more sub-agents to represent the applicant as the applicant’s agent: (i) before the receiving Office, the International Bureau, the International Searching Authority, any Authority specified for supplementary search and the International Preliminary Examining Authority, provided that any person so appointed as sub-agent has the right to practice before the national Office with which the international application was filed or to practice in respect of the international application before the International Bureau as receiving Office, as the case may be;
(ii) specifically before the International Searching Authority, any Authority specified for supplementary search or the International Preliminary Examining Authority, provided that any person so appointed as sub-agent has the right to practice before the national Office or intergovernmental organization which acts as the International Searching Authority, the Authority specified for supplementary search or the International Preliminary Examining Authority, as the case may be.
(i) before the receiving Office, the International Bureau, the International Searching Authority, any Authority specified for supplementary search and the International Preliminary Examining Authority, provided that any person so appointed as sub-agent has the right to practice before the national Office with which the international application was filed or to practice in respect of the international application before the International Bureau as receiving Office, as the case may be;
(ii) specifically before the International Searching Authority, any Authority specified for supplementary search or the International Preliminary Examining Authority, provided that any person so appointed as sub-agent has the right to practice before the national Office or intergovernmental organization which acts as the International Searching Authority, the Authority specified for supplementary search or the International Preliminary Examining Authority, as the case may be.
90.2. Common Representative
a) Where there are two or more applicants and the applicants have not appointed an agent representing all of them (a “common agent”) under Rule 90.1a), one of the applicants who is entitled to file an international application according to Article 9 may be appointed by the other applicants as their common representative.
b) Where there are two or more applicants and all the applicants have not appointed a common agent under Rule 90.1a) or a common representative under paragraph a), the applicant first named in the request who is entitled according to Rule 19.1 to file an international application with the receiving Office shall be considered to be the common representative of all the applicants.
90.3. Effects of Acts by or in Relation to Agents and Common Representatives
a) Any act by or in relation to an agent shall have the effect of an act by or in relation to the applicant or applicants concerned.
b) If there are two or more agents representing the same applicant or applicants, any act by or in relation to any of those agents shall have the effect of an act by or in relation to the said applicant or applicants.
c) Subject to Rule 90bis.5, second sentence, any act by or in relation to a common representative or his agent shall have the effect of an act by or in relation to all the applicants.
90.4. Manner of Appointment of Agent or Common Representative
a) The appointment of an agent shall be effected by the applicant signing the request, the demand or a separate power of attorney. Where there are two or more applicants, the appointment of a common agent or common representative shall be effected by each applicant signing, at his choice, the request, the demand or a separate power of attorney.
b) Subject to Rule 90.5, a separate power of attorney shall be submitted to either the receiving Office or the International Bureau, provided that, where a power of attorney appoints an agent under Rule 90.1(b), (b-bis), (c) or (d)(ii), it shall be submitted to the International Searching Authority, the Authority specified for supplementary search or the International Preliminary Examining Authority, as the case may be.
c) If the separate power of attorney is not signed, or if the required separate power of attorney is missing, or if the indication of the name or address of the appointed person does not comply with Rule 4.4, the power of attorney shall be considered non-existent unless the defect is corrected.
d) Subject to paragraph (e), any receiving Office, any International Searching Authority, any Authority competent to carry out supplementary searches, any International Preliminary Examining Authority and the International Bureau may waive the requirement under paragraph (b) that a separate power of attorney be submitted to it, in which case paragraph (c) shall not apply.
e) Where the agent or the common representative submits any notice of withdrawal referred to in Rules 90bis.1 to 90bis.4, the requirement under paragraph b) for a separate power of attorney shall not be waived under paragraph d).
90.5. General Power of Attorney
a) Appointment of an agent in relation to a particular international application may be effected by referring in the request, the demand or a separate notice to an existing separate power of attorney appointing that agent to represent the applicant in relation to any international application which may be filed by that applicant (i.e., a “general power of attorney”), provided that: (i) the general power of attorney has been deposited in accordance with paragraph (b), and
(ii) a copy of it is attached to the request, the demand or the separate notice, as the case may be; that copy need not be signed.
(i) the general power of attorney has been deposited in accordance with paragraph (b), and
(ii) a copy of it is attached to the request, the demand or the separate notice, as the case may be; that copy need not be signed.
b) The general power of attorney shall be deposited with the receiving Office, provided that, where it appoints an agent under Rule 90.1(b), (b-bis), (c) or (d)(ii), it shall be deposited with the International Searching Authority, the Authority specified for supplementary search or the International Preliminary Examining Authority, as the case may be.
c) Any receiving Office, any International Searching Authority, any Authority competent to carry out supplementary searches and any International Preliminary Examining Authority may waive the requirement under paragraph (a)(ii) that a copy of the general power of attorney is attached to the request, the demand or the separate notice, as the case may be.
d) Notwithstanding paragraph c), where the agent submits any notice of withdrawal referred to in Rules 90bis.1 to 90bis.4 to the receiving Office, the Authority specified for supplementary search, the International Preliminary Examining Authority or the International Bureau, as the case may be, a copy of the general power of attorney shall be submitted to that Office, Authority or Bureau.
90.6. Revocation and Renunciation
a) Any appointment of an agent or common representative may be revoked by the persons who made the appointment or by their successors in title, in which case any appointment of a sub-agent under Rule 90.1(d) by that agent shall also be considered as revoked. Any appointment of a sub-agent under Rule 90.1(d) may also be revoked by the applicant concerned.
b) The appointment of an agent under Rule 90.1(a) shall, unless otherwise indicated, have the effect of revoking any earlier appointment of an agent made under that Rule.
c) The appointment of a common representative shall, unless otherwise indicated, have the effect of revoking any earlier appointment of a common representative.
d) An agent or a common representative may renounce his appointment by a notification signed by him.
e) Rule 90.4(b) and (c) shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to a document containing a revocation or renunciation under this Rule.

90bis.1. Withdrawal of the International Application
a) The applicant may withdraw the international application at any time prior to the expiration of 30 months from the priority date.
b) Withdrawal shall be effective on receipt of a notice addressed by the applicant, at his option, to the International Bureau, to the receiving Office or, where Article 39(1) applies, to the International Preliminary Examining Authority.
c) No international publication of the international application shall be effected if the notice of withdrawal sent by the applicant or transmitted by the receiving Office or the International Preliminary Examining Authority reaches the International Bureau before the technical preparations for international publication have been completed.
90bis.2. Withdrawal of Designations
a) The applicant may withdraw the designation of any designated State at any time prior to the expiration of 30 months from the priority date. Withdrawal of the designation of a State which has been elected shall entail withdrawal of the corresponding election under Rule 90bis.4.
b) Where a State has been designated for the purpose of obtaining both a national patent and a regional patent, withdrawal of the designation of that State shall be taken to mean withdrawal of only the designation for the purpose of obtaining a national patent, except where otherwise indicated.
c) Withdrawal of the designations of all designated States shall be treated as withdrawal of the international application under Rule 90bis.1.
d) Withdrawal shall be effective on receipt of a notice addressed by the applicant, at his option, to the International Bureau, to the receiving Office or, where Article 39(1) applies, to the International Preliminary Examining Authority.
e) No international publication of the designation shall be effected if the notice of withdrawal sent by the applicant or transmitted by the receiving Office or the International Preliminary Examining Authority reaches the International Bureau before the technical preparations for international publication have been completed.
90bis.3. Withdrawal of Priority Claims
a) The applicant may withdraw a priority claim, made in the international application under Article 8 (1), at any time prior to the expiration of 30 months from the priority date.
b) Where the international application contains more than one priority claim, the applicant may exercise the right provided for in paragraph (a) in respect of one or more or all of the priority claims.
c) Withdrawal shall be effective on receipt of a notice addressed by the applicant, at his option, to the International Bureau, to the receiving Office or, where Article 39(1) applies, to the International Preliminary Examining Authority.
d) Where the withdrawal of a priority claim causes a change in the priority date, any time limit which is computed from the original priority date and which has not already expired shall, subject to paragraph (e), be computed from the priority date resulting from that change.
e) In the case of the time limit referred to in Article 21(2)(a), the International Bureau may nevertheless proceed with the international publication on the basis of the said time limit as computed from the original priority date if the notice of withdrawal sent by the applicant or transmitted by the receiving Office or the International Preliminary Examining Authority reaches the International Bureau after the completion of the technical preparations for international publication.
90bis3bis. Withdrawal of Supplementary Search Request
a) The applicant may withdraw a supplementary search request at any time prior to the date of transmittal to the applicant and to the International Bureau, under Rule 45bis.8(a), of the supplementary international search report or the declaration that no such report will be established.
b) Withdrawal shall be effective on receipt, within the time limit under paragraph (a), of a notice addressed by the applicant, at his option, to the Authority specified for supplementary search or to the International Bureau, provided that, where the notice does not reach the Authority specified for supplementary search in sufficient time to prevent the transmittal of the report or declaration referred to in paragraph (a), the communication of that report or declaration under Article 20(1), as applicable by virtue of Rule 45bis.8(b), shall nevertheless be effected.
90bis.4. Withdrawal of the Demand, or of Elections
a) The applicant may withdraw the demand or any or all elections at any time prior to the expiration of 30 months from the priority date.
b) Withdrawal shall be effective upon receipt of a notice addressed by the applicant to the International Bureau.
c) If the notice of withdrawal is submitted by the applicant to the International Preliminary Examining Authority, that Authority shall mark the date of receipt on the notice and transmit it promptly to the International Bureau. The notice shall be considered to have been submitted to the International Bureau on the date marked.
90bis.5. Signature
Any notice of withdrawal referred to in Rules 90bis.1 to 90bis.4 shall be signed by the applicant or, if there are two or more applicants, by all of them. An applicant who is considered to be the common representative under Rule 90.2(b) shall not be entitled to sign such a notice on behalf of the other applicants.
90bis.6. Effect of Withdrawal
a) Withdrawal under Rule 90bis of the international application, any designation, any priority claim, the demand or any election shall have no effect in any designated or elected Office where the processing or examination of the international application has already started under Article 23(2) or Article 40(2).
b) Where the international application is withdrawn under Rule 90bis.1, the international processing of the international application shall be discontinued.
b-bis) Where a supplementary search request is withdrawn under Rule 90bis.3bis, the supplementary international search by the Authority concerned shall be discontinued.
c) Where the demand or all elections are withdrawn under Rule 90bis.4, the processing of the international application by the International Preliminary Examining Authority shall be discontinued.
90bis.7. Faculty under Article 37(4)(b)
a) Any Contracting State whose national law provides for what is described in the second part of Article 37(4)b shall notify the International Bureau in writing.
b) The notification referred to in paragraph (a) shall be promptly published by the International Bureau in the Gazette, and shall have effect in respect of international applications filed more than one month after the date of such publication.

91.1. Rectification of Obvious Mistakes
a) An obvious mistake in the international application or another document submitted by the applicant may be rectified in accordance with this Rule if the applicant so requests.
b) The rectification of a mistake shall be subject to authorization by the “competent authority”, that is to say: (i) in the case of a mistake in the request part of the international application or in a correction thereof – by the receiving Office;
(ii) in the case of a mistake in the description, claims or drawings or in a correction thereof, unless the International Preliminary Examining Authority is competent under item (iii) – by the International Searching Authority;
(iii) in the case of a mistake in the description, claims or drawings or in a correction thereof, or in an amendment under Article 19 or 34, where a demand for international preliminary examination has been made and has not been withdrawn and the date on which international preliminary examination shall start in accordance with Rule 69.1 has passed – by the International Preliminary Examining Authority;
(iv) in the case of a mistake in a document not referred to in items (i) to (iii) submitted to the receiving Office, the International Searching Authority, the International Preliminary Examining Authority or the International Bureau, other than a mistake in the abstract or in an amendment under Article 19 – by that Office, Authority or Bureau, as the case may be.
(i) in the case of a mistake in the request part of the international application or in a correction thereof – by the receiving Office;
(ii) in the case of a mistake in the description, claims or drawings or in a correction thereof, unless the International Preliminary Examining Authority is competent under item (iii) – by the International Searching Authority;
(iii) in the case of a mistake in the description, claims or drawings or in a correction thereof, or in an amendment under Article 19 or 34, where a demand for international preliminary examination has been made and has not been withdrawn and the date on which international preliminary examination shall start in accordance with Rule 69.1 has passed – by the International Preliminary Examining Authority;
(iv) in the case of a mistake in a document not referred to in items (i) to (iii) submitted to the receiving Office, the International Searching Authority, the International Preliminary Examining Authority or the International Bureau, other than a mistake in the abstract or in an amendment under Article 19 – by that Office, Authority or Bureau, as the case may be.
c) The competent authority shall authorize the rectification under this Rule of a mistake if, and only if, it is obvious to the competent authority that, as at the applicable date under paragraph f), something else was intended than what appears in the document concerned and that nothing else could have been intended than the proposed rectification.
d) In the case of a mistake in the description, claims or drawings or in a correction or amendment thereof, the competent authority shall, for the purposes of paragraph c), only take into account the contents of the description, claims and drawings and, where applicable, the correction or amendment concerned.
e) In the case of a mistake in the request part of the international application or a correction thereof, or in a document referred to in paragraph b)(iv), the competent authority shall, for the purposes of paragraph c), only take into account the contents of the international application itself and, where applicable, the correction concerned, or the document referred to in paragraph b)(iv), together with any other document submitted with the request, correction or document, as the case may be, any priority document in respect of the international application that is available to the authority in accordance with the Administrative Instructions, and any other document contained in the authority’s international application file at the applicable date under paragraph f).
f) The applicable date for the purposes of paragraphs c) and e) shall be: (i) in the case of a mistake in a part of the international application as filed – the international filing date;
(ii) in the case of a mistake in a document other than the international application as filed, including a mistake in a correction or an amendment of the international application – the date on which the document was submitted.
(i) in the case of a mistake in a part of the international application as filed – the international filing date;
(ii) in the case of a mistake in a document other than the international application as filed, including a mistake in a correction or an amendment of the international application – the date on which the document was submitted.
g) A mistake shall not be rectifiable under this Rule if: (i) the mistake lies in the omission of one or more entire elements of the international application referred to in Article 3(2) or one or more entire sheets of the international application;
(ii) the mistake is in the abstract;
(iii) the mistake is in an amendment under Article 19, unless the International Preliminary Examining Authority is competent to authorize the rectification of such mistake under paragraph b)(iii); or
(iv) the mistake is in a priority claim or in a notice correcting or adding a priority claim under Rule 26bis.1a), where the rectification of the mistake would cause a change in the priority date; provided that this paragraph shall not affect the operation of Rules 20.4, 20.5, 26bis and 38.3.
(i) the mistake lies in the omission of one or more entire elements of the international application referred to in Article 3(2) or one or more entire sheets of the international application;
(ii) the mistake is in the abstract;
(iii) the mistake is in an amendment under Article 19, unless the International Preliminary Examining Authority is competent to authorize the rectification of such mistake under paragraph b)(iii); or
(iv) the mistake is in a priority claim or in a notice correcting or adding a priority claim under Rule 26bis.1a), where the rectification of the mistake would cause a change in the priority date;
h) Where the receiving Office, the International Searching Authority, the International Preliminary Examining Authority or the International Bureau discovers what appears to be a rectifiable obvious mistake in the international application or another document, it may invite the applicant to request rectification under this Rule.
91.2. Requests for Rectification
A request for rectification under Rule 91.1 shall be submitted to the competent authority within 26 months from the priority date. It shall specify the mistake to be rectified and the proposed rectification, and may, at the option of the applicant, contain a brief explanation. Rule 26.4 shall apply mutatis mutandis as to the manner in which the proposed rectification shall be indicated.
91.3. Authorization and Effect of Rectifications
a) The competent authority shall promptly decide whether to authorize or refuse to authorize a rectification under Rule 91.1 and shall promptly notify the applicant and the International Bureau of the authorization or refusal and, in the case of refusal, of the reasons therefor. The International Bureau shall proceed as provided for in the Administrative Instructions, including, as required, notifying the receiving Office, the International Searching Authority, the International Preliminary Examining Authority and the designated and elected Offices of the authorization or refusal.
b) Where the rectification of an obvious mistake has been authorized under Rule 91.1, the document concerned shall be rectified in accordance with the Administrative Instructions.
c) Where the rectification of an obvious mistake has been authorized, it shall be effective: (i) in the case of a mistake in the international application as filed, from the international filing date;
(ii) in the case of a mistake in a document other than the international application as filed, including a mistake in a correction or an amendment of the international application, from the date on which that document was submitted.
(i) in the case of a mistake in the international application as filed, from the international filing date;
(ii) in the case of a mistake in a document other than the international application as filed, including a mistake in a correction or an amendment of the international application, from the date on which that document was submitted.
d) Where the competent authority refuses to authorize a rectification under Rule 91.1, the International Bureau shall, upon request submitted to it by the applicant within two months from the date of the refusal, and subject to the payment of a special fee whose amount shall be fixed in the Administrative Instructions, publish the request for rectification, the reasons for refusal by the authority and any further brief comments that may be submitted by the applicant, if possible together with the international application. A copy of the request, reasons and comments (if any) shall if possible be included in the communication under Article 20 where the international application is not published by virtue of Article 64(3).
e) The rectification of an obvious mistake need not be taken into account by any designated Office in which the processing or examination of the international application has already started prior to the date on which that Office is notified under Rule 91.3a) of the authorization of the rectification by the competent authority.
f) A designated Office may disregard a rectification that was authorized under Rule 91.1 only if it finds that it would not have authorized the rectification under Rule 91.1 if it had been the competent authority, provided that no designated Office shall disregard any rectification that was authorized under Rule 91.1 without giving the applicant the opportunity to make observations, within a time limit which shall be reasonable under the circumstances, on the Office's intention to disregard the rectification.

92.1. Need for Letter and for Signature
(a) Any paper submitted by the applicant in the course of the international procedure provided for in the Treaty and these Regulations, other than the international application itself, shall, if not itself in the form of a letter, be accompanied by a letter identifying the international application to which it relates. The letter shall be signed by the applicant.
(b) If the requirements provided for in paragraph (a) are not complied with, the applicant shall be informed as to the non-compliance and invited to remedy the omission within a time limit fixed in the invitation. The time limit so fixed shall be reasonable in the circumstances; even where the time limit so fixed expires later than the time limit applying to the furnishing of the paper (or even if the latter time limit has already expired), it shall not be less than 10 days and not more than one month from the mailing of the invitation. If the omission is remedied within the time limit fixed in the invitation, the omission shall be disregarded; otherwise, the applicant shall be informed that the paper has been disregarded.
(c) Where non-compliance with the requirements provided for in paragraph (a) has been overlooked and the paper taken into account in the international procedure, the non-compliance shall be disregarded.
92.2. Languages
(a) Subject to Rules 55.1 and 55.3 and to paragraph (b) of this Rule, any letter or document submitted by the applicant to the International Searching Authority or the International Preliminary Examining Authority shall be in the same language as the international application to which it relates. However, where a translation of the international application has been transmitted under Rule 23.1(b) or furnished under Rule 55.2, the language of such translation shall be used.
(b) Any letter from the applicant to the International Searching Authority or the International Preliminary Examining Authority may be in a language other than that of the international application, provided the said Authority authorizes the use of such language.
(c) Vervallen.
(d) Any letter from the applicant to the International Bureau shall be in English, French or any other language of publication as may be permitted by the Administrative Instructions.
(e) Any letter or notification from the International Bureau to the applicant or to any national Office shall be in English, French or any other language of publication as may be permitted by the Administrative Instructions.
92.3. Mailings by National Offices and Intergovernmental Organizations
Any document or letter emanating from or transmitted by a national Office or an intergovernmental organization and constituting an event from the date of which any time limit under the Treaty or these Regulations commences to run shall be sent by air mail, provided that surface mail may be used instead of air mail in cases where surface mail normally arrives at its destination within two days from mailing or where air mail service is not available.
92.4. Use of Telegraph, Teleprinter, Facsimile Machine, Etc.
(a) A document making up the international application, and any later document or correspondence relating thereto, may, notwithstanding the provisions of Rules 11.14 and 92.1a), but subject to paragraph h), be transmitted, to the extent feasible, by telegraph, teleprinter, facsimile machine or other like means of communication resulting in the filing of a printed or written document.
(b) A signature appearing on a document transmitted by facsimile machine shall be recognized for the purposes of the Treaty and these Regulations as a proper signature.
(c) Where the applicant has attempted to transmit a document by any of the means referred to in paragraph (a) but part or all of the received document is illegible or part of the document is not received, the document shall be treated as not having been received to the extent that the received document is illegible or that the attempted transmission failed. The national Office or intergovernmental organization shall promptly notify the applicant accordingly.
(d) Any national Office or intergovernmental organization may require that the original of any document transmitted by any of the means referred to in paragraph (a) and an accompanying letter identifying that earlier transmission be furnished within 14 days from the date of the transmission, provided that such requirement has been notified to the International Bureau and the International Bureau has published information thereon in the Gazette. The notification shall specify whether such requirement concerns all or only certain kinds of documents.
(e) Where the applicant fails to furnish the original of a document as required under paragraph (d), the national Office or intergovernmental organization concerned may, depending on the kind of document transmitted and having regard to Rules 11 and 26.3, (i) waive the requirement under paragraph (d), or
(ii) invite the applicant to furnish, within a time limit which shall be reasonable under the circumstances and shall be fixed in the invitation, the original of the document transmitted, provided that, where the document transmitted contains defects, or shows that the original contains defects, in respect of which the national Office or intergovernmental organization may issue an invitation to correct, that Office or organization may issue such an invitation in addition to, or instead of, proceeding under item (i) or (ii).
(i) waive the requirement under paragraph (d), or
(ii) invite the applicant to furnish, within a time limit which shall be reasonable under the circumstances and shall be fixed in the invitation, the original of the document transmitted,
(f) Where the furnishing of the original of a document, is not required under paragraph (d) but the national Office or intergovernmental organization considers it necessary to receive the original of the said document, it may issue an invitation as provided for under paragraph (e)(ii).
(g) If the applicant fails to comply with an invitation under paragraph (e)(ii) or (f): (i) where the document concerned is the international application, the latter shall be considered withdrawn and the receiving Office shall so declare;
(ii) where the document concerned is a document subsequent to the international application, the document shall be considered as not having been submitted.
(i) where the document concerned is the international application, the latter shall be considered withdrawn and the receiving Office shall so declare;
(ii) where the document concerned is a document subsequent to the international application, the document shall be considered as not having been submitted.
(h) No national Office or intergovernmental organization shall be obliged to receive any document submitted by a means referred to in paragraph (a) unless it has notified the International Bureau that it is prepared to receive such a document by that means and the International Bureau has published information thereon in the Gazette.

92bis.1. Recording of Changes by the International Bureau
(a) The International Bureau shall, on the request of the applicant or the receiving Office, record changes in the following indications appearing in the request or demand: (i) person, name, residence, nationality or address of the applicant,
(ii) person, name or address of the agent, the common representative or the inventor.
(i) person, name, residence, nationality or address of the applicant,
(ii) person, name or address of the agent, the common representative or the inventor.
(b) The International Bureau shall not record the requested change if the request for recording is received by it after the expiration of 30 months from the priority date.

93.1. The Receiving Office
Each receiving Office shall keep the records relating to each international application or purported international application, including the home copy, for at least 10 years from the international filing date or, where no international filing date is accorded, from the date of receipt.
93.2. The International Bureau
(a) The International Bureau shall keep the file, including the record copy, of any international application for at least 30 years from the date of receipt of the record copy.
(b) The basic records of the International Bureau shall be kept indefinitely.
93.3. The International Searching and Preliminary Examining Authorities
Each International Searching Authority and each International Preliminary Examining Authority shall keep the file of each international application it receives for at least 10 years from the international filing date.
93.4. Reproductions
For the purposes of this Rule, records, copies and files may be kept as photographic, electronic or other reproductions, provided that the reproductions are such that the obligations to keep records, copies and files under Rules 93.1 to 93.3 are met.

93bis.1. Communication on Request; Communication via Digital Library
a) Where the Treaty, these Regulations or the Administrative Instructions provide for the communication, notification or transmittal (“communication”) of an international application, notification, communication, correspondence or other document (“document”) by the International Bureau to any designated or elected Office, such communication shall be effected only upon request by the Office concerned and at the time specified by that Office. Such request may be made in relation to individually specified documents or a specified class or classes of documents.
b) A communication under paragraph a) shall, where so agreed by the International Bureau and the designated or elected Office concerned, be considered to be effected at the time when the International Bureau makes the document available to that Office in electronic form in a digital library, in accordance with the Administrative Instructions, from which that Office is entitled to retrieve that document.

94.1. Access to the File Held by the International Bureau
a) At the request of the applicant or any person authorized by the applicant, the International Bureau shall furnish, subject to reimbursement of the cost of the service, copies of any document contained in its file.
b) The International Bureau shall, at the request of any person but not before the international publication of the international application and subject to Article 38 and paragraphs (d) to (g), furnish copies of any document contained in its file. The furnishing of copies may be subject to reimbursement of the cost of the service.
c) The International Bureau shall, if so requested by an elected Office, but not before the international preliminary examination report has been established, furnish on behalf of that Office copies under paragraph (b) of any document transmitted to it under Rule 71.1(a) or (b) by the International Preliminary Examining Authority. The International Bureau shall promptly publish details of any such request in the Gazette.
d) The International Bureau shall not provide access to any information contained in its file which has been omitted from publication under Rule 48.2(l) and to any document contained in its file relating to a request under that Rule.
e) Upon a reasoned request by the applicant, the International Bureau shall not provide access to any information contained in its file and to any document contained in its file relating to such a request, if it finds that: (i) this information does not obviously serve the purpose of informing the public about the international application;
(ii) public access to such information would clearly prejudice the personal or economic interests of any person; and
(iii) there is no prevailing public interest to have access to that information. Rule 26.4 shall apply mutatis mutandis as to the manner in which the applicant shall present the information which is the subject of a request made under this paragraph.
(i) this information does not obviously serve the purpose of informing the public about the international application;
(ii) public access to such information would clearly prejudice the personal or economic interests of any person; and
(iii) there is no prevailing public interest to have access to that information.
f) Where the International Bureau has omitted information from public access in accordance with paragraphs (d) or (e), and that information is also contained in the file of the international application held by the receiving Office, the International Searching Authority, the Authority specified for supplementary search or the International Preliminary Examining Authority, the International Bureau shall promptly notify that Office and Authority accordingly.
g) The International Bureau shall not provide access to any document contained in its file which was prepared solely for internal use by the International Bureau.
94.1bis. Access to the File Held by the Receiving Office
a) At the request of the applicant or any person authorized by the applicant, the receiving Office may provide access to any document contained in its file. The furnishing of copies of documents may be subject to reimbursement of the cost of the service.
b) The receiving Office may, at the request of any person, but not before the international publication of the international application and subject to paragraph (c), provide access to any document contained in its file. The furnishing of copies of documents may be subject to reimbursement of the cost of the service.
c) The receiving Office shall not provide access under paragraph (b) to any information in respect of which it has been notified by the International Bureau that the information has been omitted from publication in accordance with Rule 48.2(l) or from public access in accordance with Rule 94.1(d) or (e).
94.1ter. Access to the File Held by the International Searching Authority
a) At the request of the applicant or any person authorized by the applicant, the International Searching Authority may provide access to any document contained in its file. The furnishing of copies of documents may be subject to reimbursement of the cost of the service.
b) The International Searching Authority may, at the request of any person, but not before the international publication of the international application and subject to paragraph (c), provide access to any document contained in its file. The furnishing of copies of documents may be subject to reimbursement of the cost of the service.
c) The International Searching Authority shall not provide access under paragraph (b) to any information in respect of which it has been notified by the International Bureau that the information has been omitted from publication in accordance with Rule 48.2(l) or from public access in accordance with Rule 94.1(d) or (e).
d) Paragraphs (a) to (c) shall apply mutatis mutandis to the Authority specified for supplementary search.
94.2. Access to the File Held by the International Preliminary Examining Authority
a) At the request of the applicant or any person authorized by the applicant, the International Preliminary Examining Authority shall provide access to any document contained in its file. The furnishing of copies of documents may be subject to reimbursement of the cost of the service.
b) At the request of any elected Office, but not before the establishment of the international preliminary examination report and subject to paragraph (c), the International Preliminary Examining Authority shall provide access to any document contained in its file. The furnishing of copies of documents may be subject to reimbursement of the cost of the service.
c) The International Preliminary Examining Authority shall not provide access under paragraph (b) to any information in respect of which it has been notified by the International Bureau that the information has been omitted from publication in accordance with Rule 48.2(l) or from public access in accordance with Rule 94.1(d) or (e).
94.2bis. Access to the File Held by the Designated Office
If the national law applicable by any designated Office allows access by third parties to the file of a national application, that Office may allow access to any documents relating to the international application, contained in its file, to the same extent as provided by the national law for access to the file of a national application, but not before the earliest of the dates specified in Article 30(2)(a). The furnishing of copies of documents may be subject to reimbursement of the cost of the service.
94.3. Access to the File Held by the Elected Office
If the national law applicable by any elected Office allows access by third parties to the file of a national application, that Office may allow access to any documents relating to the international application, including any document relating to the international preliminary examination, contained in its file, to the same extent as provided by the national law for access to the file of a national application, but not before the earliest of the dates specified in Article 30(2)(a). The furnishing of copies of documents may be subject to reimbursement of the cost of the service.

95.1. Information Concerning Events at the Designated and Elected Offices
Any designated or elected Office shall notify the International Bureau of the following information concerning an international application within two months, or as soon as reasonably possible thereafter, of the occurrence of any of the following events:
(i) following the performance by the applicant of the acts referred to in Article 22 or Article 39, the date of performance of those acts and any national application number which has been assigned to the international application;
(ii) where the designated or elected Office explicitly publishes the international application under its national law or practice, the number and date of that national publication;
(iii) where a patent is granted, the date of grant of the patent and, where the designated or elected Office explicitly publishes the international application in the form in which it is granted under its national law, the number and date of that national publication.
95.2. Furnishing of Copies of Translations
a) At the request of the International Bureau, any designated or elected Office shall provide it with a copy of the translation of the international application furnished by the applicant to that Office.
b) The International Bureau may, upon request and subject to reimbursement of the cost, furnish to any person copies of the translations received under paragraph (a).

96.1. Schedule of Fees Annexed to Regulations
The amounts of the fees referred to in Rules 15, 45bis.2 and 57 shall be expressed in Swiss currency. They shall be specified in the Schedule of Fees which is annexed to these Regulations and forms an integral part thereof.
96.2. Notification of Receipt of Fees; Transfer of Fees
a) For the purposes of this Rule, “Office” shall mean the receiving Office (including the International Bureau acting as receiving Office), the International Searching Authority, an Authority specified for supplementary international search, the International Preliminary Examining Authority or the International Bureau.
b) Where, in accordance with these Regulations or the Administrative Instructions, a fee is collected by one Office (“collecting Office”) for the benefit of another Office (“beneficiary Office”), the collecting Office shall promptly notify the receipt of each such fee in accordance with the Administrative Instructions. Upon receipt of the notification, the beneficiary Office shall proceed as if it had received the fee on the date on which the fee was received by the collecting Office.
c) The collecting Office shall transfer any fees collected for the benefit of a beneficiary Office to that Office in accordance with the Administrative Instructions.