9.2.8 Documents cited for other reasons 

Where the search report cites a document for reasons other than those referred to above (in particular as evidence – see B‑VI, 5.6), for example because it:

(a)casts doubt on a priority claim (see B‑VI, 5.3)

(b)establishes the publication date of another citation (see B‑VI, 5.6)

(c)is relevant to the issue of double patenting (see B‑IV, 2.3(v) and G‑IV, 5.4),

it is labelled with the letter "L" and brief reasons for citing it are given. In the special case that the search division considers the claimed subject-matter to be notorious and so no documentary evidence is needed (see B‑VIII, 2.2), it will give the reasoning behind not citing any prior-art documents in the search opinion.

A citation of an "L" document does not need not be linked to any of the claims (see B‑X, 9.3) unless the evidence it provides relates only to particular claims (e.g. it shows the priority claim is invalid for only some claims), in which case the claims affected must be specified.