If deficiencies persist in the application even after the applicants have filed their response to the search opinion, the examining division will issue a communication according to Art. 94(3) and Rule 71(1), Rule 71(2) in subsequent examination proceedings and will consider the applicant's reply thereto before issuing a negative decision or a summons to oral proceedings.

If the applicant has paid further search fees in response to an invitation under Rule 64(1), Rule 164(1) or Rule 164(2) and has requested a refund of these, the examining division is required to review the validity of the finding of lack of unity (see also F‑V, 4, to

In exceptional cases an invitation to pay additional search fees under Rule 64(1), Rule 164(1) or Rule 164(2) may be combined with an invitation to restrict the scope of the search under Rule 62a(1) and/or Rule 63(1).

When the application enters the examination phase or, in the case of Rule 164(2), after the reply to the

If applicants have not availed themselves of the opportunity to have the search results on the other inventions included in the search report because they have paid no additional search fees in response to the invitation under Rule 64(1) (see B‑VII, 1.2) or Rule 164(1) (see B‑VII, 2.3), they will be taken to have elected that the applicat

3.1 Relation to unity in search; limitation to searched invention

3.2 Excision of other inventions; filing divisional applications

3.3 Refund of additional search fees

3.4 Changing from one searched invention to another