Release notes April 2012

24.4.2012

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1. New features

• New Deep links to the Belgian, Finnish and Norwegian Registers have been added
• The processing of pre-dated EPO's communications has been enhanced and notifications of these communications will be hidden until actually sent.
• New Rules 71 and 71a EPC, history of communications of the intention to grant a patent and of the disapproval(s) by the applicant.
• Withdrawal during International Phase.
• Dispatch and payment of additional claims after amendments/corrections.
• Invitation to provide Supplementary International Search Report and its reply.
• Invitation to provide information on prior art and its reply.
• Index for the EP Register Help.

2. Bug fixing

• Minor issues on the graphical user interface and correction of texts throughout the interface.
• The Gazette numbers in the XML export in ST.36 are now correctly rendered.

3. Detailed changes affecting the user interface

3.1. Changes in ST36 XML Download

3.1.1. EP date of publication after PCT publication

In the past, for those applications having PCT publication, the European Patent Register showed the date of the PCT publication as the date of first EP publication

The European Patent Register will now indicate real EP date of publication

3.1.2. Issue number in "search-report-information" for an Euro-PCT application

In the past, for those applications having PCT publication, the European Patent Register showed the issue number from the first EP publication in the attribute "change-gazette-num" of the "search-report-information" element

The European Patent Register will now indicate the issue number corresponding to the first PCT publication in "change-gazette-num" attribute of "search-report-information" element

3.1.3. Issue number in "publication-reference"

In the past, for those applications having a PCT publication, the European Patent Register showed the issue number from the EP publication in the attribute "change-gazette-num" of the "publication-reference" element of the PCT publication.

The European Patent Register will now indicate the issue number of the PCT publication in "change-gazette-num" attribute of " publication-reference" element of the PCT publication.

3.2. Changes on the user interface

3.2.1. Date of publication of international publication

If the international publication was made in one of the official languages of the EPO, a text will be added to point out that the EPO has not actually published a new A document.

3.2.2 Request for decision (in the "Examination section"):

The message "request accepted" is replaced by "Request granted":

The same change will be reflected in ST36 XML.

4. Backend system

• A major change in our database will be performed with this new release to enable the necessary flexibility for providing new data and current data more accurately.
• The processing of pre-dated EPO's communications has been enhanced and notifications of these communications will be hidden until actually sent.
• We also connect to the new version of EPO's Open Patent Services.