3(1)Section 17 of the Patents Act 1977 (preliminary examination and search) is amended as follows.
(2)In subsection (7) (supplementary searches) for “subsection (4) above” substitute “subsections (4) and (5) above” and for “it applies” substitute “they apply”.
(3)After that subsection add—
“(8)A reference for a supplementary search in consequence of—
(a)an amendment of the application made by the applicant under section 18(3) or 19(1) below, or
(b)a correction of the application, or of a document filed in connection with the application, under section 117 below,
shall be made only on payment of the prescribed fee, unless the comptroller directs otherwise.”.