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The applicant shall be required to submit a replacement sheet for every sheet of the claims which, on account of an amendment or amendments under Article 19, differs from the sheet originally filed. The letter accompanying the replacement sheets shall draw attention to the differences between the replaced sheets and the replacement sheets. To the extent that any amendment results in the cancellation of an entire sheet, that amendment shall be communicated in a letter.
(a) The communication provided for in Article 20 shall be effected by the International Bureau.
(abis) The International Bureau shall notify each designated Office, at the time of the communication provided for in Article 20, of the fact and date of receipt of the record copy and of the fact and date of receipt of any priority document. Such notification shall also be sent to any designated Office which has waived the communication provided for in Article 20, unless such Office has also waived the notification of its designation.
(ater) The notification under paragraph (abis) shall include any declaration referred to in Rule 4.17(i) to (iv), and any correction thereof under Rule 26ter.1, which was received by the International Bureau before the expiration of the time limit under Rule 26ter.1, provided that the designated Office has informed the International Bureau that the applicable national law requires the furnishing of documents or evidence relating to the matter to which the declaration relates.
(b) Such communication shall be effected promptly after the international publication of the international application and, in any event, by the end of the 19th month after the priority date. Any amendment received by the International Bureau within the time limit under Rule 46.1 which was not included in the communication shall be communicated promptly to the designated Offices by the International Bureau, and the latter shall notify the applicant accordingly.
(c) The International Bureau shall send a notice to the applicant indicating the designated Offices to which the communication has been effected and the date of such communication. Such notice shall be sent on the same day as the communication. Each designated Office shall be informed, separately from the communication, about the sending and the date of mailing of the notice. The notice shall be accepted by all designated Offices as conclusive evidence that the communication has duly taken place on the date specified in the notice.
(d) Each designated Office shall, when it so requires, receive the international search reports and the declarations referred to in Article 17(2)(a) also in the translation referred to in Rule 45.1.
(e) Where any designated Office has waived the requirement provided under Article 20, the copies of the documents which otherwise would have been sent to that Office shall, at the request of that Office or the applicant, be sent to the applicant at the time of the notice referred to in paragraph (c).
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