How to get a European patent Guide for applicants July 2017 (17th edition) Updated to 1 July 2017 Contents Foreword ....................................................................................................... 7 A. General .................................................................................................... 9 I. Introduction ................................................................................................................... 9 II. Nature and purpose of the European Patent Convention ....................................... 10 III. Relationship to other international conventions ..................................................... 10 IV. Choosing a route: national, European or international........................................... 12 Legal factors ................................................................................................................. 12 Economic factors .......................................................................................................... 13 V. Extending/validating European patents to/in non-contracting states ................... 14 B. Patentability .......................................................................................... 15 I. Invention ...................................................................................................................... 15 II. Novelty ......................................................................................................................... 16 Basic principles ............................................................................................................. 16 Prior rights .................................................................................................................... 17 III. Inventive step .............................................................................................................. 17 C. Preparing and filing a European patent application .......................... 19 I. Formal requirements .................................................................................................. 19 Entitlement to file European patent applications ........................................................... 19 States for which European patent applications may be filed ........................................ 19 Languages for European patent applications ............................................................... 19 Language arrangements to assist applicants from certain contracting states .............. 20 Items making up a European patent application ........................................................... 21 Request for grant .......................................................................................................... 21 Designation of inventor ................................................................................................. 21 Claiming priority ............................................................................................................ 22 Filing by reference ........................................................................................................ 23 Representation ............................................................................................................. 24 II. Presenting your invention ......................................................................................... 25 Disclosing your invention .............................................................................................. 25 Unity of invention .......................................................................................................... 26 Drafting the technical application documents ............................................................... 26 Description .................................................................................................................... 27 Biotechnology applications ........................................................................................... 28 (a) Nucleotide and amino acid sequences ......................................................... 28 (b) Depositing biological material to supplement the description ....................... 28 Claims ........................................................................................................................... 30 3 Claims incurring fees .................................................................................................... 31 Drawings ....................................................................................................................... 31 Abstract ......................................................................................................................... 32 Prohibited matter .......................................................................................................... 32 Unitary character of European patent applications and patents ................................... 33 III. Filing European patent applications ......................................................................... 33 Where to file .................................................................................................................. 33 How to file ..................................................................................................................... 34 Confirmation on paper .................................................................................................. 34 Date of filing .................................................................................................................. 35 Acknowledgement of receipt ......................................................................................... 35 Applications filed with national authorities and forwarded to the EPO .......................... 35 Fees 36 Fee amounts and payment methods ............................................................................ 38 Refund of fees .............................................................................................................. 40 IV. Filing other documents .............................................................................................. 41 Where and how to file ................................................................................................... 41 Signature ...................................................................................................................... 42 Confirmation on paper .................................................................................................. 42 Date of receipt .............................................................................................................. 42 Acknowledgement of receipt ......................................................................................... 42 D. The European patent grant procedure ............................................... 43 I. General survey ............................................................................................................ 43 II. Procedure up to publication of the application ....................................................... 44 Examination on filing ..................................................................................................... 44 Examination as to formal and other requirements ........................................................ 45 European search report ................................................................................................ 46 Lack of unity of invention .............................................................................................. 47 III. Publication of the European patent application ...................................................... 47 IV. Examination procedure .............................................................................................. 49 Request for examination ............................................................................................... 49 Stages of the procedure ............................................................................................... 50 Amending applications before and during examination proceedings ........................... 52 National requirements governing translations of European patents ............................. 53 V. Opposition procedure ................................................................................................ 53 Opposition period .......................................................................................................... 53 Grounds for opposition ................................................................................................. 54 Form and content of the notice of opposition ................................................................ 54 Examination of the notice of opposition for admissibility .............................................. 54 Substantive examination of the opposition ................................................................... 55 VI. Limitation and revocation procedure ....................................................................... 56 4 VII. Appeals procedure ..................................................................................................... 57 Filing an appeal ............................................................................................................ 57 Interlocutory revision ..................................................................................................... 58 Stages of the procedure before the boards of appeal .................................................