Section 16, The Patents and Industrial Design Act, 2012

(1) An application may contain a declaration claiming thepriority, as provided for in the Paris Convention, of one or more earlier national, regional or international applications filed by the applicant or his predecessor-in-title in or for any State party to the Paris Convention or the World Trade organisation. (2) Where the application contains a declaration under subsection (1), the Registrar may request that the applicant furnish, within the prescribed time limit, a copy of the earlier application certified as correct by the Agency with which it was filed, or where the earlier application filed is an international application under the Patent Co-operation Treaty, by the receiving Agency with which the application is filed. (3) The effect of the declaration shall be as provided in the Paris Convention (4) If the Registrar finds that the requirements under this section have not been fulfilled, the declaration shall be considered to be void. (5) The relevant provision of the Paris Convention on the purpose of this section are set out in the Schedule.