45bis.1

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.

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.

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).