The PCT supplementary international search permits an applicant to request, in addition to the international search (the “main international search”), one or more supplementary international searches; each search to be carried out by an ISA other than the ISA which carried out the main international search. The additional search has the potential of reducing the risk of new patent documents and other technical literature being discovered in the national phase since, by requesting supplementary search the applicant can enlarge the linguistic and/or technical scope of the documentation searched.
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