Rule 18

18. Appropriate office in relation to international applications.—

(1) The receiving office, designated office and elected office for the purposes of international applications filed under the Treaty shall be the appropriate office in accordance with rule 4.

(2) The head office of the patent office shall be the appropriate office for dealing with the International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organisation, International Searching Authorities and International Preliminary Examining Authorities.

(3) An international application under the Treaty shall be filed at and processed by the appropriate office in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter, the Treaty and the regulations established under the PCT.

(4) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-rule (2), on receipt of an international application, the appropriate office shall transmit one copy as record copy of such application to international Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organisation and another copy as search copy to Competent International Searching Authority. The appropriate office shall simultaneously furnish complete details of such application to the head office of the patent offices.

(4) The appropriate office referred to in sub-rule (1), shall, on receipt of an international application, 

(a) keep one copy of the application to be called the “home copy” in its office; 

(b) transmit one copy to be called the “record copy” to the International Bureau; and 

(c) transmit one copy to be called “search copy” to the competent International Searching Authority referred to in Article 16 of the Treaty. And simultaneously furnish complete details of such application to the Patent Office, Delhi branch.