(2) The Registrar’s office shall act as a receiving office in respect of an international
application filed with it by a resident or national of Lesotho.
(3) An international application filed with the Registrar’s office as receiving office
shall be filed in a prescribed language and the prescribed transmittal fee shall be paid to the
Registrar’s office within one month from the date of receipt of the international application.
(4) The Registrar’s office shall act as a designated office in respect of an international
application in which Lesotho is designated for the purposes of obtaining a national patent or a
utility model certificate under this Order.
(5) The Registrar’s office shall act as an elected office in respect of an international
application in which Lesotho is designated as referred to in subsection (4) if the applicant
elects Lesotho for the purposes of international preliminary examination under Chapter II of
the Patent Cooperation Treaty.
(6) The Registrar’s office as designated office or elected office shall not commence
processing of an international application designating Lesotho before the expiration of the
time limit referred to in subsection (7) except if the applicant complies with the requirements
of that subsection and files with the Registrar’s office an express request for early
commencement of such processing.
(7) The applicant in respect of an international application designating Lesotho shall,
before the expiration of the time limit applicable under Article 22 or 39 of the Patent
Cooperation Treaty or of such later time limit as may be prescribed in the Regulations:
(a) pay the prescribed fee to the Registrar’s office; and
(b) if the international application was not filled in, and has not been published under
the Patent Cooperation Treaty as a translation into, a prescribed language, file with the
Registrar’s office a translation of the international application, containing the prescribed
contents, into such language.
(8) If the applicant does not comply with the requirements of subsection (7) within the
time limit referred to in that subsection, the international application shall be considered
withdrawn for the purpose of this Order.
(9) (a) The Registrar’s office shall process international applications in accordance
with the provisions of the Patent Cooperation Treaty. The Regulations established thereunder
and the Administrative Instructions under those Regulations and with the provisions of this
Order and the Regulations thereunder. In case of conflict, the provisions of the Patent
Cooperation Treaty, the Regulations thereunder and the Administrative Instructions under
those Regulations shall apply. The Regulations under this Order may provide for the
processing of international applications in such a case.
(b) Further details concerning the processing of international applications by, and other
functions of, the Registrar’s office in connection with the Patent Cooperation Treaty,
LESOTHO
Industrial Property Order, 1989 (Order No. 5 of 1989, as last amended by Act No. 4 of 1997)
[LS 1-001]
page 26/28