Article 46 of the Saudi Patents Law
المادة 46 من نظام براءات الاختراع · الفصل الثاني: أحكام خاصة ببراءات الاختراع
The article requires a patent application to relate to one invention or one inventive concept, and allows it to be divided before a decision while keeping the original filing or priority date.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يجب أن يتعلق الطلب باختراع واحد، أو مجموعة من الأجزاء المرتبطة على نحو يجعلها مفهومًا ابتكاريًّا واحدًا، ولمقدم الطلب قبل البت في منحه براءة اختراع تجزئة طلبه إلى أكثر من طلب، بشرط ألا يتجاوز أي منها ما كشف عنه في الطلب الأصلي، ويعد تاريخ إيداع الطلب الأصلي، أو تاريخ الأسبقية تاريخ إيداع لهذه الطلبات.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 46 explained in plain English
This article sets the rule of unity of invention in a patent application, and gives the applicant a solution if the application includes more than one invention.
The rule: the application must relate to one of two things:
- a single invention; or
- a group of parts linked so as to form one inventive concept.
Division: the applicant may, before a decision is made on granting the patent, divide the application into more than one application, provided none of the new applications goes beyond what was disclosed in the original application. Division may not be used to add information or elements that did not appear in the first application.
Filing date: the filing date of the original application, or the priority date, is treated as the filing date of the applications resulting from division. The divided applications therefore do not lose the date priority of the original application.
The article does not specify the method of division or its documents.
To draft an application that respects unity of invention, it is advisable to use a lawyer specializing in intellectual property and patents.
Practical example
Abdullah filed a patent application that includes an air purification device and a separate method of food packaging. These are two inventions not linked by one inventive concept, so before a decision on his application he may divide it into two applications, provided neither goes beyond what was disclosed in the original application, and both keep the filing date of the original application or the priority date.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 46 of the Saudi Patents Law
Can more than one invention be filed in a single patent application?
The application must relate to one invention or to a group of linked parts forming one inventive concept.
When may a patent application be divided?
Before a decision is made on granting the patent, provided none of the applications goes beyond what was disclosed in the original application.
What is the filing date of divided applications?
The filing date of the original application, or the priority date, is treated as the filing date of these applications.
More articles on Conditions for a Patent
- Article 43
The article sets the three conditions for an invention to be granted a patent: novelty, an inventive step and industrial applicability, whether it is a product or an industrial process.
يكون الاختراع قابلًا للحصول على البراءة طبقًا لأحكام هذا النظام متى كان جديدًا، ومنطويًا على خطوة ابتكارية، وقابلًا للتطبيق الصناعي. ويمكن أن يكون الاختراع منتج
- Article 44
The article explains the meaning of an invention's novelty against the prior art, the meaning of the inventive step, and when an invention is industrially applicable.
أ - يكون الاختراع جديدًا إذا لم يكن مسبوقًا من حيث حالة التقنية السابقة، ويقصد بالتقنية السابقة في هذا المجال كل ما تحقق الكشف عنه للجمهور في أي مكان بالوصف الم
- Article 45
The article excludes from the concept of an invention discoveries, theories, mathematical methods, business methods, plants, animals, and methods of treatment and diagnosis, with specific exceptions.
لا يعد من قبيل الاختراعات في مجال تطبيق أحكام هذا النظام ما يأتي: أ - الاكتشافات، والنظريات العلمية، والطرق الرياضية. ب -مخططات مزاولة الأعمال التجارية وقواعدها
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.