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51 - Patent Cooperation Treaty
§ 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 that national applications be filed by the inventor, 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.
(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.
(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.
(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 where the validity of the priority claim is relevant to the determination of whether the invention concerned is patentable.
(f) If, on March 17, 2000, the proviso in paragraph (e) is not compatible with the national law applied by the designated Office, that proviso shall not apply in respect of that Office for as long as that proviso 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.
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