Administrative Instructions under the Patent Cooperation Treaty

Section 417
Processing of Amendments under Article 19

(a)  The International Bureau shall record the date on which, under Rule 46.1, any amendment made under Article 19 was received, shall notify the applicant of that date and indicate it in any publication or copy issued by it.

(b)  The International Bureau shall mark, in the upper right-hand corner of each replacement sheet submitted under Rule 46.5(a), the international application number, the date on which that sheet was received under Rule 46.1 and, in the middle of the bottom margin, the words "AMENDED SHEET (ARTICLE 19)." It shall keep in its files any replaced sheet and the letter accompanying the replacement sheet or sheets.

(c)  The International Bureau shall insert any replacement sheet or sheets in the record copy.

(d)  If, at the time when the demand is received by the International Bureau, the international search report and the written opinion of the International Searching Authority have been established and no amendments under Article 19 have been made, the International Bureau shall inform the International Preliminary Examining Authority accordingly, unless the Authority has informed the International Bureau that it wishes not to be so notified.