Administrative Instructions under the Patent Cooperation Treaty

Section 326
Withdrawal by Applicant under Rule 90bis.1, 90bis.2 or 90bis.3

(a)  The receiving Office shall promptly transmit to the International Bureau any notice from the applicant effecting withdrawal of the international application under Rule 90bis.1, of a designation under Rule 90bis.2 or of a priority claim under Rule 90bis.3 which has been filed with it together with an indication of the date of receipt of the notice. If the record copy has not yet been sent to the International Bureau, the receiving Office shall transmit the said notice together with the record copy.

(b)  If the search copy has already been sent to the International Searching Authority and the international application is withdrawn under Rule 90bis.1 or a priority claim is withdrawn under Rule 90bis.3, the receiving Office shall promptly transmit a copy of the notice effecting withdrawal to the International Searching Authority.

(c)  If the search copy has not yet been sent to the International Searching Authority and the international application is withdrawn under Rule 90bis.1, the receiving Office shall not send the search copy to the International Searching Authority and shall, subject to Section 322, refund the search fee to the applicant unless it has already been transferred to the International Searching Authority. If the search fee has already been transferred to the International Searching Authority, the receiving Office shall send a copy of the request and of the notice effecting withdrawal to that Authority.

(d)  If the search copy has not yet been sent to the International Searching Authority and a priority claim is withdrawn under Rule 90bis.3, the receiving Office shall transmit a copy of the notice effecting withdrawal to the International Searching Authority together with the search copy.