34
the International Bureau, other than a mistake in the abstract or in an amendment under Article 19—by that Office, Authority or Bureau, as the case may be.
(c) The competent authority shall authorize the rectification under this Rule of a mistake if, and only if, it is obvious to the competent authority that, as at the applicable date under paragraph (f), something else was intended than what appears in the document concerned and that nothing else could have been intended than the proposed rectification.
(d) In the case of a mistake in the description, claims or drawings or in a correction or amendment thereof, the competent authority shall, for the purposes of paragraph (c), only take into account the contents of the description, claims and drawings and, where applicable, the correction or amendment concerned.
(e) In the case of a mistake in the request part of the international application or a correction thereof, or in a document referred to in paragraph (b) (iv), the competent authority shall, for the purposes of paragraph (c), only take into account the contents of the international application itself and, where applicable, the correction concerned, or the document referred to in paragraph (b) (iv), together with any other document submitted with the request, correction or document, as the case may be, any priority document in respect of the international application that is available to the authority in accordance with the Administrative Instructions, and any other document contained in the authority’s international application file at the applicable date under paragraph (f).
(f) The applicable date for the purposes of paragraphs (c) and (e) shall be: (i) in the case of a mistake in a part of the international application as filed—the international filing
date; (ii) in the case of a mistake in a document other than the international application as filed, including a
mistake in a correction or an amendment of the international application—the date on which the document was submitted.
(g) A mistake shall not be rectifiable under this Rule if: (i) the mistake lies in the omission of one or more entire elements of the international application
referred to in Article 3 (2) or one or more entire sheets of the international application; (ii) the mistake is in the abstract; (iii) the mistake is in an amendment under Article 19, unless the International Preliminary Examining
Authority is competent to authorize the rectification of such mistake under paragraph (b) (iii); or (iv) the mistake is in a priority claim or in a notice correcting or adding a priority claim under
Rule 26bis.1 (a), where the rectification of the mistake would cause a change in the priority date; provided that this paragraph shall not affect the operation of Rules 20.4, 20.5, 26bis and 38.3.
(h) Where the receiving Office, the International Searching Authority, the International Preliminary Examining Authority or the International Bureau discovers what appears to be a rectifiable obvious mistake in the international application or another document, it may invite the applicant to request rectification under this Rule.
91.2 Requests for Rectification A request for rectification under Rule 91.1 shall be submitted to the competent authority within 26 months
from the priority date. It shall specify the mistake to be rectified and the proposed rectification, and may, at the option of the applicant, contain a brief explanation. Rule 26.4 shall apply mutatis mutandis as to the manner in which the proposed rectification shall be indicated.
91.3 Authorization and Effect of Rectifications (a) The competent authority shall promptly decide whether to authorize or refuse to authorize a rectification
under Rule 91.1 and shall promptly notify the applicant and the International Bureau of the authorization or refusal and, in the case of refusal, of the reasons therefor. The International Bureau shall proceed as provided for in the Administrative Instructions, including, as required, notifying the receiving Office, the International Searching Authority, the International Preliminary Examining Authority and the designated and elected Offices of the authorization or refusal.
(b) Where the rectification of an obvious mistake has been authorized under Rule 91.1, the document concerned shall be rectified in accordance with the Administrative Instructions.
(c) Where the rectification of an obvious mistake has been authorized, it shall be effective: (i) in the case of a mistake in the international application as filed, from the international filing date; (ii) in the case of a mistake in a document other than the international application as filed, including a
mistake in a correction or an amendment of the international application, from the date on which that document was submitted.
(d) Where the competent authority refuses to authorize a rectification under Rule 91.1, the International Bureau shall, upon request submitted to it by the applicant within two months from the date of the refusal, and subject to the payment of a special fee whose amount shall be fixed in the Administrative Instructions, publish the request for rectification, the reasons for refusal by the authority and any further brief comments that may be submitted by the applicant, if possible together with the international application. A copy of the request, reasons