claim. In both cases periods that have the priority date as their starting point shall be
calculated as from the earliest priority date.
Where one or more priorities have been claimed for one and the same patent
application, the patent rights shall cover only those elements of the application the priority of
which is claimed.
Where certain elements of the invention for which priority has been claimed do not
feature among the claims formulated in the earlier application, it shall be sufficient, for
priority to be granted, that all the documents constituting the earlier application disclose those
elements in a precise manner.
25. The date of the patent application shall be that on which the applicant filed the
application in accordance with the provisions of Articles 20, 21 and 22 of this Law.
The entity responsible for industrial property shall refuse to entertain the application if it
finds that, at the time of the filing thereof, the requirements of Articles 20, 21 and 22 were not
met.
26. Until such time as it is published the applicant may amend his application,
including the formulation of new claims, provided that the disclosure of the initial application
is not thereby exceeded.
Any amendment of a claim shall be subject to payment of a fee the amount of which
shall be fixed by decree.
27. Until such time as it is published the applicant may effect the division of his
application, provided that the disclosure of the initial application is not thereby exceeded.
Every divisional application shall be considered separate but shall retain the filing date
of, and where applicable the priority date claimed for, the initial application.
The divisional application shall be filed in the form and under the conditions specified
in Articles 20 et 21 of this Law. It shall give rise to the payment of the fees referred to in the
second paragraph of Article 22 of this Law.
28. Up to the date of patent grant the applicant may on request, which request shall be
duly justified, seek the correction of mistakes in expression or transcription and also errors
detected in the documents filed.
Where the request relates to the description, claims or drawings, the correction shall be
accepted only where it is so clearly called for that no other wording or image could have been
intended by the applicant.
The request shall be submitted in writing and shall include the changes proposed. It
shall be entertained only if accompanied by proof of payment of a fee the amount of which
shall be fixed by decree.
Section 2
Examination of the Application
29. The entity responsible for industrial property shall examine whether the application
is consistent in terms of form with the provisions of Articles 20, 21 and 22 of this Law.
The entity responsible for industrial property shall reject the patent application if it finds
that the provisions referred to in the first paragraph of this Article have not been respected
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