(a) On the filing of a proper Demand in an application for which the United States International Preliminary Examining Authority is competent and for which the fees have been paid, the international application shall be the subject of an international preliminary examination. The preliminary examination fee (§1.482(a)(1)) and the handling fee (§1.482(b)) shall be due within the applicable time limit set forth in PCT Rule 57.3.

(b) The Demand shall be made on a standardized form (PCT Rule 53). Copies of the printed Demand forms are available from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Letters requesting printed Demand forms should be marked “Mail Stop PCT.”

(c) Withdrawal of a proper Demand prior to the start of the international preliminary examination will entitle applicant to a refund of the preliminary examination fee minus the amount of the transmittal fee set forth in §1.445(a)(1).

(d) The filing of a Demand shall constitute the election of all Contracting States which are designated and are bound by Chapter II of the Treaty on the international filing date (PCT Rule 53.7).

(e) Any Demand filed after the expiration of the applicable time limit set forth in PCT Rule 54bis.1(a) shall be considered as if it had not been submitted (PCT Rule 54bis.1(b)).

[52 FR 20048, May 28, 1987, as amended at 53 FR 47810, Nov. 28, 1988; 58 FR 4346, Jan. 14, 1993; 63 FR 29619, June 1, 1998; 67 FR 523, Jan. 4, 2002; 68 FR 14337, Mar. 25, 2003; 68 FR 59888, Oct. 20, 2003]