G 0004/98 (Designation fees) of 27.11.2000
- European Case Law Identifier
- ECLI:EP:BA:2000:G000498.20001127
- Date of decision
- 27 November 2000
- Case number
- G 0004/98
- Petition for review of
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- Application number
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- IPC class
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- Language of proceedings
- English
- Distribution
- Published in the EPO's Official Journal (A)
- Download
- Decision in English
- Other decisions for this case
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- Abstracts for this decision
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- Application title
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- Applicant name
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- Opponent name
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- Board
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- Headnote
I. Without prejudice to Article 67(4) EPC, the designation of a Contracting State party to the EPC in a European patent application does not retroactively lose its legal effect and is not deemed never to have taken place if the relevant designation fee has not been paid within the applicable time limit.
II. The deemed withdrawal of the designation of a Contracting State provided for in Article 91(4) EPC takes effect upon expiry of the time limits mentioned in Article 79(2), Rules 15(2), 25(2) and 107(1) EPC, as applicable, and not upon expiry of the period of grace provided by Rule 85a EPC.
- Relevant legal provisions
- European Patent Convention Art 108 1973European Patent Convention Art 112 1973European Patent Convention Art 66 1973European Patent Convention Art 67 1973European Patent Convention Art 76 1973European Patent Convention Art 79 1973European Patent Convention Art 80 1973European Patent Convention Art 90 1973European Patent Convention Art 91 1973European Patent Convention R 107 1973European Patent Convention R 108 1973European Patent Convention R 15 1973European Patent Convention R 25 1973European Patent Convention R 85a 1973Paris Convention Art 004
- Keywords
- Failure to pay designation fees
No retroactive effect of deemed withdrawal except for Article 67 EPC
Deemed withdrawal takes effect upon expiry of the time limit for payment of designation fees - Catchword
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Conclusion
For the reasons set forth above, the Enlarged Board of Appeal gives the following opinion on the questions referred to it by the President of the EPO:
Question 1.a):
Without prejudice to Article 67(4) EPC, the designation of a Contracting State party to the EPC in a European patent application does not retroactively lose its legal effect and is not deemed never to have taken place if the relevant designation fee has not been paid within the applicable time limit.
Questions 1.b) to d):
No answers required.
Question 2:
The deemed withdrawal of the designation of a Contracting State provided for in Article 91(4) EPC takes effect upon expiry of the time limits mentioned in Article 79(2), Rules 15(2), 25(2) and 107(1) EPC, as applicable, and not upon expiry of the period of grace provided by Rule 85a EPC.