Guidelines for Examination
PART C
CHAPTER IV PATENTABILITY
5. State of the art
5.4 Documents in a non-official language
 

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PART C
CHAPTER IV PATENTABILITYCHAPTER IV PATENTABILITY
5. State of the art5. State of the art
  5.3 Date of filing or priority date as effective date5.3 Date of filing or priority date as effective date       
 

5.4

Documents in a non-official language

 

The search report will include a document in a non-official language only if there is strong evidence (e.g. coming from drawings, an abstract, a corresponding patent in an official language, or a translation produced by the examiner or by a person familiar with the language of the document) that the document is relevant (see B-X 9.1.2 and 9.1.3). The examiner, in the search opinion or in the communication under Art. 96(2), may cite the document on the basis of the same evidence. If, however, the applicant disputes the relevance of the document and gives specific reasons, the examiner should consider whether, in the light of these reasons and of the other prior art available to him, he is justified in pursuing the matter. If so, he should obtain a translation of the document (or merely the relevant part of it if that can be easily identified). If he remains of the view that the document is relevant, he should send a copy of the translation to the applicant with the next official communication.