Patents Act, 1978 (Act No. 57 of 1978)

Where no priority has been claimed under section 31(1)(a) from an application accompanied by a provisional specification and the application has lapsed, or an application and every application claiming priority from it has lapsed or has been abandoned or has been finally refused, the registrar shall at the request of the applicant made in the prescribed manner return to him any specification lodged in connection with the application: Provided that no document containing proof of payment shall be returned to the applicant.