Administrative Instructions under the Patent Cooperation Treaty

Section 423
Cancellation of Designations and Elections

(a)  The International Bureau shall, if the receiving Office has failed to do so, cancel ex officio the designation of any State which is not a Contracting State, shall enclose that designation within square brackets, draw a line between the square brackets while still leaving the designation legible, enter, in the margin, the words "CANCELLED EX OFFICIO BY IB" or their equivalent in French, and notify the applicant and the receiving Office accordingly.

(b)  The International Bureau shall cancel ex officio:

(i) the election of any State which is not a designated State;

(ii) the election of any State not bound by Chapter II of the Treaty, if the International Preliminary Examining Authority has failed to do so.

(c)  The International Bureau shall enclose the cancelled election within square brackets, draw a line between the square brackets while still leaving the election legible, enter, in the margin, the words "CANCELLED EX OFFICIO BY IB" or their equivalent in French, and notify the applicant and, if the election is in the demand, the International Preliminary Examining Authority accordingly.