(2) The person making the application may divide the application into one or
more applications provided that each divisional application shall not go beyond the
disclosure in the initial application.
21. Right of priority
(1) The application may contain a declaration claiming the priority, as provided
for in the Paris Convention, of one or more earlier national, regional or international
applications filed by the person making the application or his predecessor in title in or for
any State party to the Paris Convention.
(2) The Registrar may, at any time after the expiration of three months from the
filing of the application containing the declaration, require that the person making the
application furnish a copy of the earlier application, certified as correct by the Office with
which it was filed or, where the earlier application is an international application, filed
under the Patent Co-operation Treaty, by the International Bureau.
(3) The declaration made under subsection (1) shall have effect as provided in
the Paris convention.
(4) The details of the requirements under subsection (1) to (3) shall be prescribed
by the regulations.
(5) If the requirements under this section and the rules pertaining thereto have
not been complied with, the declaration referred to in subsection (1) shall be
disregarded.
22. Furnishing of information on corresponding foreign applications and grants
(1) At the request of the Registrar, made within one year of the date of filing of
the application, the person who is making an application shall furnish him with the date
and number of any application for a patent or another title of protection filed by him with
a national industrial property office relating to the same invention as that claimed in the
application filed with the Registrar.
(2) The person making an application for registration of a patent shall, at the
request of the Registrar, furnish the following documents relating to one of the foreign
application referred to in subsection (1)–
(a) copies of any communication received by that person concerning the results of
any search or examination carried out in respect of the foreign application;
(b) a copy of the patent or other title of protection granted on the foreign
application;
(c) a copy of any final decision rejecting the foreign application or refusing the grant
requested in the foreign application.
(3) The person making an application for registration of a patent shall, at the
request of the Registrar furnish him with a copy of any decision invalidating the patent or
other title of protection granted to him on the basis of the foreign application referred to
in subsection (1).
(4) The person making the application shall, at the request of the Registrar,
furnish him with copies of any communication received by the applicant concerning the
results of any search or examination carried out in respect of any foreign application
other than the one referred to in subsection (2).
(5) The documents furnished under this section shall merely serve the purpose of
facilitating the evaluation of novelty and inventive step with respect to the invention
claimed in the application filed with the Registrar or in the patent granted on the basis of
that application.
(6) The person making an application for registration of a patent shall have the
right to submit comments on the documents furnished under this section.
23. Payment of fees
A fee for registration of a patent shall be prescribed by