(1) If the application or part of the application is not in German, the applicant is subsequently to submit a German translation within a time limit of three months after filing the application. If the German translation is not submitted within the time limit, the application is deemed to be withdrawn.
(2) If the application or part of the application is in English or French, the time limit under subsection (1) sentence 1 is extended to 12 months. If an earlier date is claimed for the application rather than the date of filing, the period under sentence 1, however, ends at the latest after the expiry of a period of 15 months from this date.
(3) If a request in accordance with section 43 (1) or section 44 (1) has been filed in respect of the application, the examining section may request that the applicant submit a German translation of the application documents before the expiry of the period referred to in subsection (2).
(4) If the applicant notifies the German Patent and Trade Mark Office before the expiry of the time limit referred to in subsections (1) and (2) that he or she consents to the inspection of the application pursuant to section 31 (2) sentence 1 no. 1, the applicant must submit a German translation of the application documents. Such consent is not regarded as given until the German Patent and Trade Mark Office is in receipt of the translation.