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  • Patent Index 2020
PCT Part C – Guidelines for Procedural Aspects in Chapter II
  1. Home
  2. Legal texts
  3. PCT-EPO Guidelines
  4. Table of Contents
  5. PCT Part C
  6. Chapter III
  7. 4. Added subject-matter
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Chapter III – Documents forming the basis of the international preliminary examination

Overview

4. Added subject-matter 

All amended pages (description, claims, drawings) must be examined to see whether they introduce subject-matter not originally disclosed. The same criteria should be used as under Art. 123(2) EPC for the European procedure (see GL/PCT‑EPO H‑II and GL/PCT‑EPO H-III).

Concerning the applicant's obligation to indicate the basis for the amendments in the application as originally filed, see GL/PCT‑EPO H‑I, 6.

GL/ISPE 20.09

If any newly filed claim, drawing or part of the description contains amendments which are considered to go beyond the disclosure as originally filed, the claim concerned is examined, taking into consideration only those technical features which have a basis in the application as originally filed, disregarding the amendments which are considered as introducing added subject-matter.

If that is not possible, the text of the claims as originally filed or amended under Art. 19(1) is examined and this information is entered on the cover sheet and in Section I of the WO‑IPEA (Form 408) and/or of the IPER (Form 409). On the separate sheet, reasons must be given as to why the amendments introduce subject-matter not originally disclosed and why they are disregarded.

Art. 19(2)
Art. 34(2)(b)
Rule 70.2(c)

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