If the empowered authority finds that the requirements of paragraph (1) of this article have not
been satisfied, it shall invite the applicant to make the required corrections; if the applicant
does not comply with the invitation, the application shall be considered withdrawn; if the
correction relates to the declaration of priority, the right of priority shall be lost.
Where the empowered authority is of the opinion that the application complies with the
formal requirements of the paragraph (1) of this article, it shall take a decision as to whether
the requirements of articles 56 to 59, 66 and 67 of this Law and, if appropriate, submit the
application to be examined as to substance. For the purposes of examination as to substance,
the empowered authority shall take into account:
1° the results of any international search report and any international preliminary
examination report established under the Patent Cooperation Treaty in relation to the
application filed in Rwanda;
2° the results of any search and examination report and any decision submitted under article
30 of this Law;
3° the results of any search and examination report which was carried out upon his request
by an external search and examination authority or by a specialized agency of the
Government of Rwanda.
Article 76: Grant of the utility model
Where the empowered authority finds that the formal requirements of Article 33 of this Law
have been satisfied, it shall grant the patent of utility model; in the opposite case, it shall reject
the application and shall notify in writing the applicant of that decision, within the time limit
prescribed by the International Conventions to which Rwanda is party.
When granting a patent of utility model, the empowered authority shall:
1° publish a reference to the grant of the patent of utility model and its abstract;
2° issue to the applicant a certificate of the grant of the patent of utility model and a copy of
the patent of utility model;
3° record the patent of utility model in the register of patents; and
4° make available copies of the patent of utility model to the public, on payment of the
prescribed fee.
Article 77: Amendments to the patent text
The empowered authority shall, upon request of the patent owner of utility model, make
amendments to the patent text or drawings, intended to limit the scope of the protection
conferred hereby, provided that as a result of these amendments the disclosure made in the
patent does not go beyond the disclosure made in the original application, on the basis of
which the patent of utility model has been granted. Otherwise those amendments shall be
without effect.