EUROPEAN PATENT CONVENTION - Table of Contents Implementing Regulations to the Convention on the Grant of European Patents PART VII - IMPLEMENTING REGULATIONS TO PART VII OF THE CONVENTION Chapter X - Legal and administrative co-operation Rule 149 - Inspection of files by or via courts or authorities of the Contracting States

Rule 149 Inspection of files by or via courts or authorities of the Contracting States

Art. 131

(1) Inspection of the files of European patent applications or of European patents by courts or authorities of the Contracting States shall be of the original documents or of copies thereof; Rule 145 shall not apply.

(2) Courts or Public Prosecutors' offices of the Contracting States may, in the course of their proceedings, communicate to third parties files or copies thereof transmitted to them by the European Patent Office. Such communications shall be effected in accordance with Article 128 and shall not be subject to any fee.

(3) The European Patent Office shall, when transmitting the files, draw attention to the restrictions which may, under Article 128, paragraphs 1 and 4, apply to file inspection by third parties.