SECTION 4: EXAMINATION, OPPOSITION, REGISTRATION Article 170: Examination The empowered authority shall verify whether the application satisfies the requirements of articles 166 to 168 of this Law. Where the empowered authority finds that the requirements referred to in paragraph one (1) of this article have been satisfied, it shall have the application, as accepted, published in the prescribed manner. Article 171: Opposition Any interested person or competent authority may, in the manner and within the time limits prescribed by a ministerial decree, make a statement, to the empowered authority, of opposition to the registration of the geographical indication for the reason that one or more of the requirements of articles 166 to 172 of this Law have not been satisfied. The empowered authority shall send a copy of the statement of opposition to the applicant who, in the manner and within the time limit prescribed, shall address a reply to it explaining the reasons on which his application is based, failing which he shall be considered to have abandoned his application. Where the applicant sends a reply, the empowered authority shall submit a response to the opposing party and, after hearing the parties, if one or both of them wish to be heard, and examining the substantive issues, shall decide whether the geographical indication shall be registered or not. Article 172: Registration Where the empowered authority observes that the requirements of article 170 of this Law have been satisfied, and that the registration of the geographical indication has not been the subject of opposition in the manner and within the time limits prescribed by a ministerial decree , or the registration of the indication has been the subject of opposition which has given rise to a decision in favour of the applicant, it shall register the geographical indication; publish a reference to the registration and issue the applicant with a registration certificate. In the opposite case, it shall reject the application. Article 173: Invalidation of the registration Any interested person or the empowered authority may request the competent tribunal to order: 1° the invalidation of the registration of a geographical indication on the grounds that, in view of article 169 of this Law, the indication may not benefit from protection;