4.6 Handling of dependent claims under Rule 62a

Claims depending ‒ whether directly or only indirectly via other dependent claims ‒ on an independent claim excluded from the search in accordance with Rule 62a(1) (see B‑VIII, 4.2) are likewise excluded from the search. Conversely, if a dependent claim depends on more than one preceding claim and not all of them were searched, it will be searched but only in so far as it depends on a claim or claims which were searched in accordance with Rule 62a(1).