Does the current legislation allow for any type of modification to a patent applicantion; such as claim ammendments and/or the filing of a divisional patent application?
Patent applications can be modified without any restrictions before a final ruling; even the very claims of an application are subject to change. This might imply, however, a new technical examination, if the patent application has already been examined, that is. Divisional applications can be submitted provided that the divisional does not involve an extension of the invention or an expansion of disclosure compared to the initial patent application. Similarly, patent applications may also be withdrawn by the applicant at any time.
