45bis.4

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.

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.