What is the purpose of the statement accompanying an Article 19 amendment?
An optional statement can accompany an Article 19 amendment. The MPEP explains its purpose: Any amendment may be accompanied by a brief statement by the applicant explaining the amendment and indicating any impact it might have on the description and the drawings. Such a statement is published together with the international application itself.
This statement allows the applicant to provide context for the amendments and highlight their significance. However, there are restrictions: The statement must not exceed 500 words if in English or when translated into English. It may not contain disparaging comments on the international search report or on the relevance of any of the citations contained in that report.
This statement can be a valuable tool for clarifying the amendments to examiners and third parties.
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