2.13.1 Initial Considerations

Date Published

Before commencing examination of an application, the following matters should be considered:

In these situations, examiners should give consideration to the most logical sequence of actions to adopt.

Note: If some documents appear to be missing, examiners should ascertain from the copy of the filing receipt and the correspondence whether the missing documents were in fact filed. If any filed documents cannot be located, COG should be notified immediately. Where documents are present, but which clearly do not belong in the file, COG should also be informed.

  • For cases where an original search is required, has the three person team considered an applicant/inventor name search to identify related or parallel applications? (see 4.1.3.6 Applicant/Inventor Name Searching)