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Website changes due to EPC 2000
The revised European Patent Convention (EPC) comes into effect tomorrow, 13 December 2007. As a result, a number of changes have to be made to this website, particularly to the "Law" and "Grant procedure" areas under "Patents".
Both the new and the 1973 versions of the EPC will be available concurrently so that users can consult and compare the texts during the transitional phase. For each article or section in a particular version, a cross-reference list in the right-hand column will indicate the corresponding section(s) in the other version.
The legal texts will also move to the domain www.epo.org. Your bookmarks should still work (we will put re-directs in place), but we encourage you to update them to avoid delays.
We will also update the "How to apply for a patent" page and "Grant procedure" section to reflect procedural changes.
Every effort has been made to ensure that this transition is as smooth as possible. However, some users may experience difficulties with the website in the coming days. Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience caused.
If you wish to report a problem with the website, please e-mail website@epo.org. If you have a question about the revised European Patent Convention, please contact EPO Customer Services on + 49 89 2399-4636.