Where the applicant is not the inventor, the request shall be accompanied by a declaration
providing proof of the applicant’s right to the patent.
Article 25: Description of the invention
The description shall, subject to being declared invalid, explain and disclose the invention in a
manner sufficiently clear, complete and intelligible so as to be used by a person skilled in the
art and involved in that area. It shall indicate the best way to use the invention known to the
applicant at the filing date or, where priority is claimed, at the priority date of the application.
Where necessary, drawings shall be provided to understand the invention.
The disclosure of the claimed invention shall be considered sufficiently clear and complete if
it provides information which is sufficient to allow that invention to be used by a person
skilled in the art on the filing date, without undue experimentation. For the purposes of
assessing sufficiency of disclosure, the disclosure contained in the description, claims and
drawings, as established on the date in which the sufficiency of disclosure was examined,
shall be taken into account.
In accordance with provisions of this article, a person having ordinary skill in the art is
understood as a citizen of Rwanda, or any person with habitual residence located in Rwanda,
who has studied and carries out his profession in Rwanda, having acquired an average
expertise and experience in the technical field of the claimed invention.
The empowered authority may, at any time before the grant of the patent, require the
description in foreign patent applications to be adapted to the ordinary skill in the art of the
citizens of Rwanda, or any person with habitual residence in Rwanda and carries out his
profession in Rwanda, so as to ensure technology transfer and dissemination.
Article 26: Claims
The claims shall define the scope of the desired protection and the protection for an invention
shall be determined by the extent of the content of the claims.
The claims shall be clear and concise; they shall be based entirely on the description. The
description and drawings may be used to interpret the claims.
Article 27: Abstract
The abstract is the summary of an inventory work and it shall be used exclusively for
technical information purposes. It shall not be taken into consideration when assessing the
scope of protection.
Article 28: Unity of invention
The application may relate to one invention only or to a group of inventions so linked as to
form a single general inventive concept.
The fact that a patent has been granted on the basis of an application not satisfying the rule of
unity of invention shall not serve as grounds for cancelling the patent.