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of 5 October 1973
as adopted by decision of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation of 7 December 2006 and
as last amended by decision of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation of 26 October 2010
Implementing Regulations to part I of the Convention
General provisions
Written proceedings
Filing of and formal requirements for documents
Language in written proceedings
Language in oral proceedings
Certification of translations
Filing of translations and reduction of fees
Legal authenticity of the translation of the European patent application
Organisation of the European Patent Office
General matters
Patent classification
Administrative structure of the European Patent Office
Responsibility of the Receiving Section and the Examining Division
Allocation of duties to the departments of first instance
Organisation of the Boards of Appeal and the Enlarged Board of Appeal
Presidium of the Boards of Appeal
Business distribution scheme for the Enlarged Board of Appeal and adoption of its Rules of Procedure
Implementing Regulations to part II of the Convention
Procedure where the applicant is not entitled
Stay of proceedings
Limitation on withdrawals
Procedure under Article 61, paragraph 1
Filing of a new European patent application by the entitled person
Partial transfer of the right to the European patent
Mention of the inventor
Designation of the inventor
Publication of the mention of the inventor
Rectification of the designation of an inventor
Registration of transfers, licences and other rights
Registration of transfers
Registration of licences and other rights
Special entries for licence registrations
Certificate of exhibition
Certificate of exhibition
Biotechnological inventions
General and definitions
Patentable biotechnological inventions
Exceptions to patentability
The human body and its elements
Requirements of European patent applications relating to nucleotide and amino acid sequences
Deposit of biological material
Expert solution
Availability of biological material
New deposit of biological material
Implementing Regulations to part III of the Convention
Filing of the European patent application
General provisions
European divisional applications
Forwarding of European patent applications
Filing fee and search fee
Designation fees
Date of filing
Provisions governing the application
Request for grant
Content of the description
Form and content of claims
Unity of invention
Claims incurring fees
Form of the drawings
Form and content of the abstract
Prohibited matter
General provisions governing the presentation of the application documents
Documents filed subsequently
Renewal fees
Payment of renewal fees
Priority
Declaration of priority
Priority documents
Issuing priority documents
Implementing Regulations to part IV of the Convention
Examination by the Receiving Section
Examination on filing
Missing parts of the description or missing drawings
Examination as to formal requirements
Correction of deficiencies in the application documents
Deficiencies in claiming priority
Subsequent designation of the inventor
European search report
Content of the European search report
Extended European search report
Applications containing a plurality of independent claims
Incomplete search
European search report where the invention lacks unity
Transmittal of the European search report
Definitive content of the abstract
Publication of the European patent application
Technical preparations for publication
Form of the publication of European patent applications and European search reports
Information about publication
Request for examination
Examination by the Examining Division
Response to the extended European search report
Request for a copy of search results
Examination procedure
Conclusion of the grant procedure
Grant of the European patent to different applicants
The European patent specification
Content and form of the specification
Certificate for a European patent
Implementing Regulations to part V of the Convention
Opposition procedure
Surrender or lapse of the patent
Form and content of the opposition
Rejection of the opposition as inadmissible
Procedure where the proprietor of the patent is not entitled
Preparation of the examination of the opposition
Amendment of the European patent
Examination of opposition
Maintenance of the European patent in amended form
Request for documents
Continuation of the opposition proceedings by the European Patent Office of its own motion
Transfer of the European patent
Documents in opposition proceedings
Content and form of the new specification of the European patent
Costs
Intervention of the assumed infringer
Procedure for limitation or revocation
Subject of proceedings
Responsibility for proceedings
Requirements of the request
Precedence of opposition proceedings
Rejection of the request as inadmissible
Decision on the request
Content and form of the amended European patent specification
Implementing Regulations to part VI of the Convention
Appeals procedure
Appeal against apportionment and fixing of costs
Surrender or lapse of the patent
Content of the notice of appeal and the statement of grounds
Examination of appeals
Rejection of the appeal as inadmissible
Form of decision of the Board of Appeal
Reimbursement of appeal fees
Petitions for review by the Enlarged Board of Appeal
Further fundamental procedural defects
Criminal acts
Obligation to raise objections
Contents of the petition for review
Examination of the petition
Procedure in dealing with petitions for review
Reimbursement of the fee for petitions for review
Implementing Regulations to part VII of the Convention
Decisions and communications of the European Patent Office
Form of decisions
Noting of loss of rights
Signature, name, seal
Observations by third parties
Observations by third parties
Oral proceedings and taking of evidence
Summons to oral proceedings
Preparation of oral proceedings
Decision on taking of evidence
Summons to give evidence before the European Patent Office
Examination of evidence before the European Patent Office
Hearing by a competent national court
Commissioning of experts
Costs of taking of evidence
Conservation of evidence
Minutes of oral proceedings and of taking of evidence
Notifications
General provisions
Notification by post
Notification by technical means of communication
Notification by delivery by hand
Public notification
Notification to representatives
Time limits
Calculation of periods
Periods specified by the European Patent Office
Late receipt of documents
Extension of periods
Further processing
Re‑establishment of rights
Amendments and corrections
Amendment of the European patent application
Different claims, description and drawings for different States
Correction of errors in documents filed with the European Patent Office
Correction of errors in decisions
Information on prior art
Information on prior art
Interruption of proceedings
Interruption of proceedings
Information to the public
Entries in the European Patent Register
Parts of the file excluded from inspection
Procedures for the inspection of files
Communication of information contained in the files
Constitution, maintenance and preservation of files
Legal and administrative co‑operation
Communications between the European Patent Office and the authorities of the Contracting States
Inspection of files by or via courts or authorities of the Contracting States
Procedure for letters rogatory
Representation
Appointment of a common representative
Authorisations
Attorney-client evidentiary privilege
Amendment of the list of professional representatives
Implementing Regulations to part VIII of the Convention
Filing and transmission of the request for conversion
Information to the public in the event of conversion
Implementing Regulations to part X of the Convention
The European Patent Office as a receiving Office
The European Patent Office as an International Searching Authority or International Preliminary Examining Authority
The European Patent Office as a designated or elected Office – Requirements for entry into the European phase
Consequences of non-fulfilment of certain requirements
Amendment of the application
Claims incurring fees
Examination of certain formal requirements by the European Patent Office
Consideration of unity by the European Patent Office
The Euro‑PCT application as conflicting application under Article 54, paragraph 3
Cross-reference list
| EPC | EPC 1973 |
| Part I | Part I |
| R. 1 | - |
| R. 2 | - |
| R. 3 | R. 1 |
| R. 4 | R. 2 |
| R. 5 | R. 5 |
| R. 6 | R. 6 |
| R. 7 | R. 7 |
| R. 8 | R. 8 |
| R. 9 | R. 12 |
| R. 10 | Art. 16; Art. 18(1) |
| R. 11 | R. 9 |
| R. 12 | R. 10 |
| R. 13 | R. 11 |
| Part II | Part II |
| R. 14 | R. 13(1), (2), (3), (5) |
| R. 15 | R. 14 |
| R. 16 | Art. 61(1) |
| R. 17 | R. 15(1), (2) |
| R. 18 | R. 16(1), (2) |
| R. 19 | R. 17 |
| R. 20 | R. 18 |
| R. 21 | R. 19 |
| R. 22 | R. 20 |
| R. 23 | R. 21 |
| R. 24 | R. 22 |
| R. 25 | R. 23 |
| R. 26 | R. 23b |
| R. 27 | R. 23c |
| R. 28 | R. 23d |
| R. 29 | R. 23e |
| R. 30 | R. 27a(1), (4) |
| R. 31 | R. 28(1), (2) |
| R. 32 | R. 28(4), (5) |
| R. 33 | R. 28(3), (6), (7), (8), (9) |
| R. 34 | R. 28a |
| Part III | Part III |
| R. 35 | R. 24 |
| R. 36 | R. 4; R. 25 |
| R. 37 | Art. 77 |
| R. 38 | Art. 78(2) |
| R. 39 | Art. 79(2), (3) |
| R. 40 | Art. 80 |
| R. 41 | R. 26 |
| R. 42 | R. 27 |
| R. 43 | R. 29 |
| R. 44 | R. 30 |
| R. 45 | R. 31 |
| R. 46 | R. 32 |
| R. 47 | R. 33 |
| R. 48 | R. 34 |
| R. 49 | R. 35 |
| R. 50 | R. 36 |
| R. 51 | R. 37 |
| R. 52 | R. 38(1), (2) + (6) |
| R. 53 | R. 38(3), (4) + (5) |
| R. 54 | R. 38a |
| Part IV | Part IV |
| R. 55 | R. 39 |
| R. 56 | R. 43 |
| R. 57 | Art. 91(1); R. 40, 41 |
| R. 58 | Art. 91(1); R. 40, 41 |
| R. 59 | - |
| R. 60 | R. 42 |
| R. 61 | R. 44 |
| R. 62 | R. 44a |
| R. 63 | R. 45 |
| R. 64 | R. 46 |
| R. 65 | Art. 92(2) |
| R. 66 | R. 47 |
| R. 67 | R. 48 |
| R. 68 | Art. 93(2); R. 49 |
| R. 69 | R. 50 |
| R. 70 | Art. 94(2), (3); Art. 96(1); R. 51(1) |
| R. 71 | R. 51(2) - (11) |
| R. 72 | R. 52 |
| R. 73 | R. 53 |
| R. 74 | R. 54 |
| Part V | Part V |
| R. 75 | Art. 99(3) |
| R. 76 | R. 55 |
| R. 77 | R. 56 |
| R. 78 | R. 13(4); R. 16(3) |
| R. 79 | R. 57 |
| R. 80 | R. 57a |
| R. 81 | R. 58(1), (2), (3) |
| R. 82 | R. 58(4), (5), (6), (7), (8) |
| R. 83 | R. 59 |
| R. 84 | R. 60 |
| R. 85 | R. 61 |
| R. 86 | R. 61a |
| R. 87 | R. 62, R. 62a |
| R. 88 | R. 63 |
| R. 89 | Art. 105 |
| R. 90 | - |
| R. 91 | - |
| R. 92 | - |
| R. 93 | - |
| R. 94 | - |
| R. 95 | - |
| R. 96 | - |
| Part VI | Part VI |
| R. 97 | Art. 106(4), (5) |
| R. 98 | Art. 106(2) |
| R. 99 | R. 64 |
| R. 100 | Art. 110(2), (3); R. 66(1) |
| R. 101 | R. 65 |
| R. 102 | R. 66(2) |
| R. 103 | R. 67 |
| R. 104 | - |
| R. 105 | - |
| R. 106 | - |
| R. 107 | - |
| R. 108 | - |
| R. 109 | - |
| R. 110 | - |
| Part VII | Part VII |
| R. 111 | R. 68 |
| R. 112 | R. 69 |
| R. 113 | R. 70 |
| R. 114 | Art. 115 |
| R. 115 | R. 71 |
| R. 116 | R. 71a |
| R. 117 | R. 72(1) |
| R. 118 | R. 72(2) |
| R. 119 | Art. 117(2); R. 72(3), (4) |
| R. 120 | Art. 117(4), (5), (6) |
| R. 121 | R. 73 |
| R. 122 | R. 74 |
| R. 123 | R. 75 |
| R. 124 | R. 76 |
| R. 125 | R. 77; R. 82 |
| R. 126 | R. 78 |
| R. 127 | - |
| R. 128 | R. 79 |
| R. 129 | R. 80 |
| R. 130 | R. 81 |
| R. 131 | R. 83 |
| R. 132 | R. 84 |
| R. 133 | R. 84a |
| R. 134 | R. 85 |
| R. 135 | Art. 121(2), (3) |
| R. 136 | Art. 122(2), (3), (4), (5) |
| R. 137 | R. 86 |
| R. 138 | R. 87 |
| R. 139 | R. 88 |
| R. 140 | R. 89 |
| R. 141 | Art. 124(1) |
| R. 142 | R. 90 |
| R. 143 | R. 92 |
| R. 144 | R. 93 |
| R. 145 | R. 94 |
| R. 146 | R. 95 |
| R. 147 | R. 95a |
| R. 148 | R. 97 |
| R. 149 | R. 98 |
| R. 150 | R. 99 |
| R. 151 | R. 100 |
| R. 152 | R. 101 |
| R. 153 | - |
| R. 154 | R. 102 |
| Part VIII | Part VIII |
| R. 155 | Art. 135(2); Art. 136(1), (2) |
| R. 156 | R. 103 |
| Part IX | Part IX |
| R. 157 | Art. 151(1); Art. 152; R. 104 |
| R. 158 | R. 105 |
| R. 159 | Art. 153(2); R. 107 |
| R. 160 | R. 108 |
| R. 161 | R. 109 |
| R. 162 | R. 110 |
| R. 163 | R. 111 |
| R. 164 | R. 112 |
| R. 165 | - |