PATENTS ACT (as amended) ss 1–2 tion or investigation or report or other proceeding consequent thereon. (3) An appeal shall lie from any decision of the Registrar under subsection (1) or (2). 12 Ante-dating and post-dating of applications and specifications (1) At any time after an application has been lodged under this Act and before acceptance of the complete specification, the Registrar may, at the request of the applicant and upon payment of the prescribed fee, direct that the application shall be post-dated to such date as may be specified in the request: Provided that— (i) no application shall be post-dated under this subsection to a date later than six months from the date on which it was actually lodged or would, but for this subsection, be deemed to have been so lodged; (ii) a Convention application shall not be post-dated under this subsection to a date later than the last date on which, under this Act, the application could have been made. (2) Where an application or specification lodged under this Act is amended before acceptance of the complete specification, the Registrar may direct that the application or specification shall be post-dated to the date on which it is amended or, if it has been returned to the applicant, to the date on which it is again lodged under this Act. (3) Where, at any time after an application or specification has been lodged at the Patent Office and before acceptance of the complete specification, a fresh application or specification is lodged in respect of any part of the subjectmatter of the first-mentioned application or specification, the Registrar may direct that the fresh application or specification shall be ante-dated to a date not earlier than the date of lodging of the first-mentioned application or specification. (4) An appeal shall lie from any decision of the Registrar under subsection (2) or (3). 14 Powers of Registrar if specification or application defective (1) If, in the case of a complete specification lodged in pursuance of an application for a patent, which application was accompanied by a provisional specification, the result of any examination made in terms of subsection (1) of section eleven is adverse to the applicant in regard to any matter referred to in that subsection or it is found that the invention described in the complete specification includes matter not included in the provisional specification, the Registrar may, subject to subsection (6) of section nine— (a) refuse to accept the complete specification until it has been amended to his satisfaction; or (b) with the consent of the applicant, cancel the provisional specification and direct that the application be post-dated to the date upon which the complete specification was lodged at the Patent Office; or (c) where the complete specification includes matter not included in the provisional specification— (i) allow the application to be proceeded with in so far as the matter included both in the provisional and in the complete specification is concerned; and (ii) allow an application for the additional matter included in the complete specification to be made and authorize the application for such additional matter, if lodged at the Patent Office within such period as he may determine, to be dated with the date on which the complete specification was lodged at the Patent Office. (2) If in the case of a Convention application it is found that the matter claimed is not substantially the same as that claimed in the application made in the Convention country in question, the Registrar may, subject to subsection (6) of section nine— (a) refuse to accept the application until it has been amended to his satisfaction; or (b) with the consent of the applicant, treat the application as an application which is not a Convention application. (3) If in the case of a Convention application it is found that the specification lodged in Zimbabwe includes matter not included in the specification lodged in the Convention country, the Registrar may— (a) allow the application to be proceeded with in so far as the matter included in both the Convention country and the Zimbabwe specifications is concerned; and (b) allow an application for the additional matter to be made and authorize such application, if lodged at the Patent Office within such period as he may determine, to be dated with the date on which the Zimbabwe specification was lodged at the Patent Office. (4) An appeal shall lie from any decision of the Registrar under subsection (1), (2) or (3). 13 Refusal of application in certain cases (1)4 Subject to subsection (2), if it appears to the Registrar in the case of any application for a patent that— (a) it is frivolous on the ground that it claims as an invention anything obviously contrary to wellestablished natural laws; or (b)5 the patent applied for cannot be granted by virtue of section two A; or (b1)6 the use of the invention in respect of which the application is made would be generally expected⎯ (i) to endanger public order or public safety; or (ii) to encourage offensive, immoral or anti-social behaviour; or (iii) to endanger human, animal or plant life or health; or (iv) to promote serious prejudice to the environment; or (c) it claims as an invention a substance capable of being used as food or medicine which is a mixture of known ingredients possessing only the aggregate of the known properties of the ingredients or that it claims as an invention a process producing such a substance by mere admixture; he may refuse the application. (2)7 An application shall not be refused in terms of subsection (1) merely because exploitation of the invention concerned would be contrary to the law of Zimbabwe. 15 Lapsing of applications (1) If a complete specification is not accepted within eighteen months from the date of lodging of the complete specification, the application to which that specification relates shall lapse unless— (a) an appeal has been lodged in respect of the application and has not been determined or abandoned; or (b) the time within which an appeal in respect of the application may be lodged has not expired; or