(4) For the purposes of this section "foreign application" means any application filed by
the applicant abroad which relates to the same or essentially the same invention as that
claimed in the application filed with the Patent Office.
Section 9—Filing Date; Examination.
(1) The Registrar shall accord as the filing date, the date of receipt of the application, if,
at the time of receipt, the documents filed contain
(a) an express or implicit indication that the granting of a patent is sought;
(b) indications allowing the identity of the applicant to be established;
(c) a part which, on the face of it, appears to be a description of an invention.
(2) Where the Registrar finds that the application did not at the time of receipt, fulfil the
requirements referred to in subsection (1), the Registrar shall invite the applicant to file
the required correction and shall accord as the filing date, the date of receipt of the
required correction.
(3) Where no correction is made, the application shall be treated as if it had not been
filed.
(4) Where the application refers to drawings, which are not included in the application,
the Registrar shall invite the applicant to furnish the missing drawings.
(5) Where the applicant
(a) complies with the invitation, the Registrar shall accord as the filing date, the date of
receipt of the missing drawings; or
(b) does not comply with the invitation the Registrar, shall accord as the filing date, the
date of receipt of the application and any reference to the missing drawings shall be
treated as non existent.
(6) The Registrar, after according the filing date, shall examine whether the application
complies with the requirements of section 5 subsections (1), (2), (3) and (4), and the other
requirements designated as formal requirements and whether information requested under
section 8, if any, has been provided.
(7) Where the Registrar is of the opinion that the application complies with the
requirements indicated in subsection (6), the Registrar shall cause the application to be
examined as to whether the requirements of sections 1(2) and (3), 2, 3, 5 (5), (6), (7), (8),
and 6 have been complied with.