Rule 16 Possibility of Notification of a Provisional Refusal Based on an Opposition Under Article 5(2)(c) of the Protocol

1.

a)

Subject to Article 9sexies(1)(b) of the Protocol, where a declaration has been made by a Contracting Party pursuant to Article 5(2)(b) and (c), first sentence, of the Protocol, the Office of that Contracting Party shall, where it has become apparent with regard to a given international registration designating that Contracting Party that the opposition period will expire too late for any provisional refusal based on an opposition to be notified to the International Bureau within the 18-month time limit referred to in Article 5(2)(b), inform the International Bureau of the number, and the name of the holder, of that international registration.

b)

Where, at the time of the communication of the information referred to in subparagraph (a), the dates on which the opposition period begins and ends are known, those dates shall be indicated in the communication. If such dates are not yet known at that time, they shall be communicated to the International Bureau as soon as they are known1).

c)

Where subparagraph (a) applies and the Office referred to in the said subparagraph has, before the expiry of the 18-month time limit referred to in the same subparagraph, informed the International Bureau of the fact that the time limit for filing oppositions will expire within the 30 days preceding the expiry of the 18-month time limit and of the possibility that oppositions may be filed during those 30 days, a provisional refusal based on an opposition filed during the said 30 days may be notified to the International Bureau within one month from the date of filing of the opposition.

2.