EUROPEAN PATENT CONVENTION - Table of Contents Implementing Regulations to the Convention on the Grant of European Patents PART IX - IMPLEMENTING REGULATIONS TO PART X OF THE CONVENTION   Rule 157 - The European Patent Office as a receiving Office

Rule 157 The European Patent Office as a receiving Office

Art. 150, 151

(1) The European Patent Office shall be competent to act as a receiving Office within the meaning of the PCT if the applicant is a resident or national of a Contracting State to this Convention and to the PCT. Without prejudice to paragraph 3, if the applicant chooses the European Patent Office as a receiving Office, the international application shall be filed directly with the European Patent Office. Article 75, paragraph 2, shall apply mutatis mutandis.

(2) Where the European Patent Office acts as a receiving Office under the PCT, the international application shall be filed in English, French or German. The President of the European Patent Office may determine that the international application and any related item shall be filed in more than one copy.

(3) If an international application is filed with an authority of a Contracting State for transmittal to the European Patent Office as the receiving Office, the Contracting State shall ensure that the application reaches the European Patent Office not later than two weeks before the end of the thirteenth month from filing or, if priority is claimed, from the date of priority.

(4) The transmittal fee for the international application shall be paid within one month of filing the application.