(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.

(8) For the purposes of subsection (7), the Registrar shall take into account

(a) the results of any international search report and any international preliminary examination report established under the Treaty in relation to the application; or

(b) a search and an examination report submitted under section 8(2)(a) which relates to a corresponding foreign application; or

(c) a final decision submitted under section 8(2)(c) on refusal to grant a patent on a corresponding foreign application; or

(d) a search and an examination report which was carried out upon the request of the Registrar by an external search and an examination authority.