PCT Article 34

Procedure Before the International Preliminary Examining Authority

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1. (4)
   1. (a) If the International Preliminary Examining Authority considers
      1. (i) that the international application relates to a subject matter on which the International Preliminary Examining Authority is not required, under the Regulations, to carry out an international preliminary examination, and an international preliminary examination, and in the particular case decides not to carry out such examination, or
      2. (ii) that the description, the claims, or the drawings, are so unclear, or the claims are so inadequately supported by the description, that no meaningful opinion can be formed on the novelty, inventive step (non-obviousness), or industrial applicability, of the claimed invention, the said authority shall not go into the questions referred to in Article 33(1) and shall inform the applicant of this opinion and the reasons therefor.
   2. (b) If any of the situations referred to in subparagraph (a) is found to exist in, or in connection with, certain claims only, the provisions of that subparagraph shall apply only to the said claims.

There are instances where international preliminary examination is not required because of the nature of the subject matter claimed and also because the claims are so indefinite that no examination is possible. Such instances should seldom occur, especially since most problems of this nature would have already been discovered and indicated at the time of the international search.

If it is found that certain claims of an international application relate to subject matter for which no international preliminary examination is required, check the appropriate box on a Form PCT/IPEA/408 or a Form PCT/IPEA/409, as appropriate (see MPEP § 1860). It should be noted that subject matter which is normally examined under U.S. national procedure should also be examined as an International Preliminary Examining Authority.

The examiner should check the appropriate box if it is found that the description, claims or drawings are so unclear, or the claims are so inadequately supported by the description that no opinion could be formed as to the novelty, inventive step (nonobviousness) and industrial applicability of the claimed invention.

Subject matter not searched under Chapter I will not be the subject of a preliminary examination under Chapter II. This is so even if claims which were not searched under Chapter I are modified to be acceptable for examination.