45bis.6

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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.

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.

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.