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Guidelines for Examination in the EPO

Guidelines for Examination - Table of Contents  
PART B GUIDELINES FOR SEARCH PART A PART C  
CHAPTER III CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SEARCH CHAPTER II GENERAL CHAPTER IV SEARCH PROCEDURE AND STRATEGY  
3. The subject of the search 2. Scope of the search    
3.12 Lack of unity 3.11 Subject-matter excluded from search 3.13 Technological background  

3.12

Lack of unity

 

Also, when the claims of the application do not relate to one invention only, nor to a group of inventions linked so as to form a single general inventive concept, the search will normally be restricted to the invention or the linked group of inventions first mentioned in the claims (see Chapter VII). Restriction of the search for the above reasons will be notified to the applicant in a communication accompanying the partial search report (see VII, 1.2).

Rule 64




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