Skip to main content Skip to footer
HomeHome
 
  • Homepage
  • Searching for patents

    Patent knowledge

    Access our patent databases and search tools.

    Go to overview 

    • Overview
    • Technical information
      • Overview
      • Espacenet - patent search
      • European Publication Server
      • EP full-text search
    • Legal information
      • Overview
      • European Patent Register
      • European Patent Bulletin
      • European Case Law Identifier sitemap
      • Third-party observations
    • Business information
      • Overview
      • PATSTAT
      • IPscore
      • Technology insight reports
    • Data
      • Overview
      • Technology Intelligence Platform
      • Linked open EP data
      • Bulk data sets
      • Web services
      • Coverage, codes and statistics
    • Technology platforms
      • Overview
      • Plastics in transition
      • Water innovation
      • Space innovation
      • Technologies combatting cancer
      • Firefighting technologies
      • Clean energy technologies
      • Fighting coronavirus
    • Helpful resources
      • Overview
      • First time here?
      • Asian patent information
      • Patent information centres
      • Patent Translate
      • Patent Knowledge News
      • Business and statistics
      • Unitary Patent information in patent knowledge
    Image
    Plastics in Transition

    Technology insight report on plastic waste management

  • Applying for a patent

    Applying for a patent

    Practical information on filing and grant procedures.

    Go to overview 

    • Overview
    • European route
      • Overview
      • European Patent Guide
      • Oppositions
      • Oral proceedings
      • Appeals
      • Unitary Patent & Unified Patent Court
      • National validation
      • Request for extension/validation
    • International route (PCT)
      • Overview
      • Euro-PCT Guide – PCT procedure at the EPO
      • EPO decisions and notices
      • PCT provisions and resources
      • Extension/validation request
      • Reinforced partnership programme
      • Accelerating your PCT application
      • Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH)
      • Training and events
    • National route
    • Find a professional representative
    • MyEPO services
      • Overview
      • Understand our services
      • Get access
      • File with us
      • Interact with us on your files
      • Online Filing & fee payment outages
    • Forms
      • Overview
      • Request for examination
    • Fees
      • Overview
      • European fees (EPC)
      • International fees (PCT)
      • Unitary Patent fees (UP)
      • Fee payment and refunds
      • Warning

    UP

    Find out how the Unitary Patent can enhance your IP strategy

  • Law & practice

    Law & practice

    European patent law, the Official Journal and other legal texts.

    Go to overview 

    • Overview
    • Legal texts
      • Overview
      • European Patent Convention
      • Official Journal
      • Guidelines
      • Extension / validation system
      • London Agreement
      • National law relating to the EPC
      • Unitary patent system
      • National measures relating to the Unitary Patent
    • Court practices
      • Overview
      • European Patent Judges' Symposium
    • User consultations
      • Overview
      • Ongoing consultations
      • Completed consultations
    • Substantive patent law harmonisation
      • Overview
      • The Tegernsee process
      • Group B+
    • Convergence of practice
    • Options for professional representatives
    Image
    Law and practice scales 720x237

    Keep up with key aspects of selected BoA decisions with our monthly "Abstracts of decisions”

  • News & events

    News & events

    Our latest news, podcasts and events, including the European Inventor Award.

    Go to overview 

     

    • Overview
    • News
    • Events
    • European Inventor Award
      • Overview
      • About the award
      • Categories and prizes
      • Meet the finalists
      • Nominations
      • European Inventor Network
      • The 2024 event
    • Young Inventors Prize
      • Overview
      • About the prize
      • Nominations
      • The jury
      • The world, reimagined
      • The 2025 event
    • Press centre
      • Overview
      • Patent Index and statistics
      • Search in press centre
      • Background information
      • Copyright
      • Press contacts
      • Call back form
      • Email alert service
    • Innovation and patenting in focus
      • Overview
      • Water-related technologies
      • CodeFest
      • Green tech in focus
      • Research institutes
      • Women inventors
      • Lifestyle
      • Space and satellites
      • The future of medicine
      • Materials science
      • Mobile communications
      • Biotechnology
      • Patent classification
      • Digital technologies
      • The future of manufacturing
      • Books by EPO experts
    • "Talk innovation" podcast

    Podcast

    From ideas to inventions: tune into our podcast for the latest in tech and IP

  • Learning

    Learning

    The European Patent Academy – the point of access to your learning

    Go to overview 

    • Overview
    • Learning activities and paths
      • Overview
      • Learning activities
      • Learning paths
    • EQE and EPAC
      • Overview
      • EQE - European qualifying examination
      • EPAC - European patent administration certification
      • CSP – Candidate Support Programme
    • Learning resources by area of interest
      • Overview
      • Patent granting
      • Technology transfer and dissemination
      • Patent enforcement and litigation
    • Learning resources by profile
      • Overview
      • Business and IP managers
      • EQE and EPAC Candidates
      • Judges, lawyers and prosecutors
      • National offices and IP authorities
      • Patent attorneys and paralegals
      • Universities, research centres and technology transfer centres (TTOs)
    Image
    Patent Academy catalogue

    Have a look at the extensive range of learning opportunities in the European Patent Academy training catalogue

  • About us

    About us

    Find out more about our work, values, history and vision

    Go to overview 

    • Overview
    • The EPO at a glance
    • 50 years of the EPC
      • Overview
      • Official celebrations
      • Member states’ video statements
      • 50 Leading Tech Voices
      • Athens Marathon
      • Kids’ collaborative art competition
    • Legal foundations and member states
      • Overview
      • Legal foundations
      • Member states of the European Patent Organisation
      • Extension states
      • Validation states
    • Administrative Council and subsidiary bodies
      • Overview
      • Communiqués
      • Calendar
      • Documents and publications
      • Administrative Council
    • Principles & strategy
      • Overview
      • Our mission, vision, values and corporate policy
      • Strategic Plan 2028
      • Towards a New Normal
    • Leadership & management
      • Overview
      • President António Campinos
      • Management Advisory Committee
    • Sustainability at the EPO
      • Overview
      • Environmental
      • Social
      • Governance and Financial sustainability
    • Services & activities
      • Overview
      • Our services & structure
      • Quality
      • Consulting our users
      • European and international co-operation
      • European Patent Academy
      • Chief Economist
      • Ombuds Office
      • Reporting wrongdoing
    • Observatory on Patents and Technology
      • Overview
      • Technologies
      • Innovation actors
      • Policy and funding
      • Tools
      • About the Observatory
    • Procurement
      • Overview
      • Procurement forecast
      • Doing business with the EPO
      • Procurement procedures
      • Sustainable Procurement Policy
      • About eTendering and electronic signatures
      • Procurement portal
      • Invoicing
      • General conditions
      • Archived tenders
    • Transparency portal
      • Overview
      • General
      • Human
      • Environmental
      • Organisational
      • Social and relational
      • Economic
      • Governance
    • Statistics and trends
      • Overview
      • Statistics & Trends Centre
      • Patent Index 2024
      • EPO Data Hub
      • Clarification on data sources
    • History
      • Overview
      • 1970s
      • 1980s
      • 1990s
      • 2000s
      • 2010s
      • 2020s
    • Art collection
      • Overview
      • The collection
      • Let's talk about art
      • Artists
      • Media library
      • What's on
      • Publications
      • Contact
      • Culture Space A&T 5-10
      • "Long Night"
    Image
    Patent Index 2024 keyvisual showing brightly lit up data chip, tinted in purple, bright blue

    Track the latest tech trends with our Patent Index

 
en de fr
  • Language selection
  • English
  • Deutsch
  • Français
Main navigation
  • Homepage
    • Go back
    • New to patents
  • New to patents
    • Go back
    • Your business and patents
    • Why do we have patents?
    • What's your big idea?
    • Are you ready?
    • What to expect
    • How to apply for a patent
    • Is it patentable?
    • Are you first?
    • Patent quiz
    • Unitary patent video
  • Searching for patents
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • Technical information
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Espacenet - patent search
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • National patent office databases
        • Global Patent Index (GPI)
        • Release notes
      • European Publication Server
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Release notes
        • Cross-reference index for Euro-PCT applications
        • EP authority file
        • Help
      • EP full-text search
    • Legal information
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • European Patent Register
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Release notes archive
        • Register documentation
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Deep link data coverage
          • Federated Register
          • Register events
      • European Patent Bulletin
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Download Bulletin
        • EP Bulletin search
        • Help
      • European Case Law Identifier sitemap
      • Third-party observations
    • Business information
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • PATSTAT
      • IPscore
        • Go back
        • Release notes
      • Technology insight reports
    • Data
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Technology Intelligence Platform
      • Linked open EP data
      • Bulk data sets
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Manuals
        • Sequence listings
        • National full-text data
        • European Patent Register data
        • EPO worldwide bibliographic data (DOCDB)
        • EP full-text data
        • EPO worldwide legal event data (INPADOC)
        • EP bibliographic data (EBD)
        • Boards of Appeal decisions
      • Web services
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Open Patent Services (OPS)
        • European Publication Server web service
      • Coverage, codes and statistics
        • Go back
        • Weekly updates
        • Updated regularly
    • Technology platforms
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Plastics in transition
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Plastics waste recovery
        • Plastics waste recycling
        • Alternative plastics
      • Innovation in water technologies
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Clean water
        • Protection from water
      • Space innovation
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Cosmonautics
        • Space observation
      • Technologies combatting cancer
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Prevention and early detection
        • Diagnostics
        • Therapies
        • Wellbeing and aftercare
      • Firefighting technologies
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Detection and prevention of fires
        • Fire extinguishing
        • Protective equipment
        • Post-fire restoration
      • Clean energy technologies
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Renewable energy
        • Carbon-intensive industries
        • Energy storage and other enabling technologies
      • Fighting coronavirus
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Vaccines and therapeutics
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Vaccines
          • Overview of candidate therapies for COVID-19
          • Candidate antiviral and symptomatic therapeutics
          • Nucleic acids and antibodies to fight coronavirus
        • Diagnostics and analytics
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Protein and nucleic acid assays
          • Analytical protocols
        • Informatics
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Bioinformatics
          • Healthcare informatics
        • Technologies for the new normal
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Devices, materials and equipment
          • Procedures, actions and activities
          • Digital technologies
        • Inventors against coronavirus
    • Helpful resources
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • First time here?
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Basic definitions
        • Patent classification
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC)
        • Patent families
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • DOCDB simple patent family
          • INPADOC extended patent family
        • Legal event data
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • INPADOC classification scheme
      • Asian patent information
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • China (CN)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Facts and figures
          • Grant procedure
          • Numbering system
          • Useful terms
          • Searching in databases
        • Chinese Taipei (TW)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Grant procedure
          • Numbering system
          • Useful terms
          • Searching in databases
        • India (IN)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Facts and figures
          • Grant procedure
          • Numbering system
        • Japan (JP)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Facts and figures
          • Grant procedure
          • Numbering system
          • Useful terms
          • Searching in databases
        • Korea (KR)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Facts and figures
          • Grant procedure
          • Numbering system
          • Useful terms
          • Searching in databases
        • Russian Federation (RU)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Facts and figures
          • Numbering system
          • Searching in databases
        • Useful links
      • Patent information centres (PATLIB)
      • Patent Translate
      • Patent Knowledge News
      • Business and statistics
      • Unitary Patent information in patent knowledge
  • Applying for a patent
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • European route
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • European Patent Guide
      • Oppositions
      • Oral proceedings
        • Go back
        • Oral proceedings calendar
          • Go back
          • Calendar
          • Public access to appeal proceedings
          • Public access to opposition proceedings
          • Technical guidelines
      • Appeals
      • Unitary Patent & Unified Patent Court
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Unitary Patent
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Legal framework
          • Main features
          • Applying for a Unitary Patent
          • Cost of a Unitary Patent
          • Translation and compensation
          • Start date
          • Introductory brochures
        • Unified Patent Court
      • National validation
      • Extension/validation request
    • International route
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Euro-PCT Guide
      • Entry into the European phase
      • Decisions and notices
      • PCT provisions and resources
      • Extension/validation request
      • Reinforced partnership programme
      • Accelerating your PCT application
      • Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH)
        • Go back
        • Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) programme outline
      • Training and events
    • National route
    • MyEPO services
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Understand our services
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Exchange data with us using an API
          • Go back
          • Release notes
      • Get access
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Release notes
      • File with us
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • What if our online filing services are down?
        • Release notes
      • Interact with us on your files
        • Go back
        • Release notes
      • Online Filing & fee payment outages
    • Fees
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • European fees (EPC)
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Decisions and notices
      • International fees (PCT)
        • Go back
        • Reduction in fees
        • Fees for international applications
        • Decisions and notices
        • Overview
      • Unitary Patent fees (UP)
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Decisions and notices
      • Fee payment and refunds
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Payment methods
        • Getting started
        • FAQs and other documentation
        • Technical information for batch payments
        • Decisions and notices
        • Release notes
      • Warning
    • Forms
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Request for examination
    • Find a professional representative
  • Law & practice
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • Legal texts
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • European Patent Convention
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Archive
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Documentation on the EPC revision 2000
            • Go back
            • Overview
            • Diplomatic Conference for the revision of the EPC
            • Travaux préparatoires
            • New text
            • Transitional provisions
            • Implementing regulations to the EPC 2000
            • Rules relating to Fees
            • Ratifications and accessions
          • Travaux Préparatoires EPC 1973
      • Official Journal
      • Guidelines
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • EPC Guidelines
        • PCT-EPO Guidelines
        • Unitary Patent Guidelines
        • Guidelines revision cycle
        • Consultation results
        • Summary of user responses
        • Archive
      • Extension / validation system
      • London Agreement
      • National law relating to the EPC
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Archive
      • Unitary Patent system
        • Go back
        • Travaux préparatoires to UP and UPC
      • National measures relating to the Unitary Patent 
    • Court practices
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • European Patent Judges' Symposium
    • User consultations
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Ongoing consultations
      • Completed consultations
    • Substantive patent law harmonisation
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • The Tegernsee process
      • Group B+
    • Convergence of practice
    • Options for professional representatives
  • News & events
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • News
    • Events
    • European Inventor Award
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • About the award
      • Categories and prizes
      • Meet the inventors
      • Nominations
      • European Inventor Network
        • Go back
        • 2024 activities
        • 2025 activities
        • Rules and criteria
        • FAQ
      • The 2024 event
    • Young Inventors Prize
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • About the prize
      • Nominations
      • The jury
      • The world, reimagined
      • The 2025 event
    • Press centre
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Patent Index and statistics
      • Search in press centre
      • Background information
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • European Patent Office
        • Q&A on patents related to coronavirus
        • Q&A on plant patents
      • Copyright
      • Press contacts
      • Call back form
      • Email alert service
    • In focus
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Water-related technologies
      • CodeFest
        • Go back
        • CodeFest Spring 2025 on classifying patent data for sustainable development
        • Overview
        • CodeFest 2024 on generative AI
        • CodeFest 2023 on Green Plastics
      • Green tech in focus
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • About green tech
        • Renewable energies
        • Energy transition technologies
        • Building a greener future
      • Research institutes
      • Women inventors
      • Lifestyle
      • Space and satellites
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Patents and space technologies
      • Healthcare
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Medical technologies and cancer
        • Personalised medicine
      • Materials science
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Nanotechnology
      • Mobile communications
      • Biotechnology
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Red, white or green
        • The role of the EPO
        • What is patentable?
        • Biotech inventors
      • Classification
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Nanotechnology
        • Climate change mitigation technologies
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • External partners
          • Updates on Y02 and Y04S
      • Digital technologies
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • About ICT
        • Hardware and software
        • Artificial intelligence
        • Fourth Industrial Revolution
      • Additive manufacturing
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • About AM
        • AM innovation
      • Books by EPO experts
    • Podcast
  • Learning
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • Learning activities and paths
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Learning activities: types and formats
      • Learning paths
    • EQE and EPAC
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • EQE - European Qualifying Examination
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Compendium
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Paper F
          • Paper A
          • Paper B
          • Paper C
          • Paper D
          • Pre-examination
        • Candidates successful in the European qualifying examination
        • Archive
      • EPAC - European patent administration certification
      • CSP – Candidate Support Programme
    • Learning resources by area of interest
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Patent granting
      • Technology transfer and dissemination
      • Patent enforcement and litigation
    • Learning resources by profile
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Business and IP managers
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Innovation case studies
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • SME case studies
          • Technology transfer case studies
          • High-growth technology case studies
        • Inventor's handbook
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Introduction
          • Disclosure and confidentiality
          • Novelty and prior art
          • Competition and market potential
          • Assessing the risk ahead
          • Proving the invention
          • Protecting your idea
          • Building a team and seeking funding
          • Business planning
          • Finding and approaching companies
          • Dealing with companies
        • Best of search matters
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Tools and databases
          • EPO procedures and initiatives
          • Search strategies
          • Challenges and specific topics
        • Support for high-growth technology businesses
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Business decision-makers
          • IP professionals
          • Stakeholders of the Innovation Ecosystem
      • EQE and EPAC Candidates
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Paper F brain-teasers
        • Daily D questions
        • European qualifying examination - Guide for preparation
        • EPAC
      • Judges, lawyers and prosecutors
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Compulsory licensing in Europe
        • The jurisdiction of European courts in patent disputes
      • National offices and IP authorities
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Learning material for examiners of national officers
        • Learning material for formalities officers and paralegals
      • Patent attorneys and paralegals
      • Universities, research centres and TTOs
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Modular IP Education Framework (MIPEF)
        • Pan-European Seal Young Professionals Programme
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • For students
          • For universities
            • Go back
            • Overview
            • IP education resources
            • University memberships
          • Our young professionals
          • Professional development plan
        • Academic Research Programme
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Completed research projects
          • Current research projects
        • IP Teaching Kit
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Download modules
        • Intellectual property course design manual
        • PATLIB Knowledge Transfer to Africa
          • Go back
          • Core activities
          • Stories and insights
  • About us
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • The EPO at a glance
    • 50 years of the EPC
      • Go back
      • Official celebrations
      • Overview
      • Member states’ video statements
        • Go back
        • Albania
        • Austria
        • Belgium
        • Bulgaria
        • Croatia
        • Cyprus
        • Czech Republic
        • Denmark
        • Estonia
        • Finland
        • France
        • Germany
        • Greece
        • Hungary
        • Iceland
        • Ireland
        • Italy
        • Latvia
        • Liechtenstein
        • Lithuania
        • Luxembourg
        • Malta
        • Monaco
        • Montenegro
        • Netherlands
        • North Macedonia
        • Norway
        • Poland
        • Portugal
        • Romania
        • San Marino
        • Serbia
        • Slovakia
        • Slovenia
        • Spain
        • Sweden
        • Switzerland
        • Türkiye
        • United Kingdom
      • 50 Leading Tech Voices
      • Athens Marathon
      • Kids’ collaborative art competition
    • Legal foundations and member states
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Legal foundations
      • Member states
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Member states by date of accession
      • Extension states
      • Validation states
    • Administrative Council and subsidiary bodies
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Communiqués
        • Go back
        • 2024
        • Overview
        • 2023
        • 2022
        • 2021
        • 2020
        • 2019
        • 2018
        • 2017
        • 2016
        • 2015
        • 2014
        • 2013
      • Calendar
      • Documents and publications
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Select Committee documents
      • Administrative Council
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Composition
        • Representatives
        • Rules of Procedure
        • Board of Auditors
        • Secretariat
        • Council bodies
    • Principles & strategy
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Mission, vision, values & corporate policy
      • Strategic Plan 2028
        • Go back
        • Driver 1: People
        • Driver 2: Technologies
        • Driver 3: High-quality, timely products and services
        • Driver 4: Partnerships
        • Driver 5: Financial sustainability
      • Towards a New Normal
      • Data protection & privacy notice
    • Leadership & management
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • About the President
      • Management Advisory Committee
    • Sustainability at the EPO
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Environmental
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Inspiring environmental inventions
      • Social
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Inspiring social inventions
      • Governance and Financial sustainability
    • Procurement
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Procurement forecast
      • Doing business with the EPO
      • Procurement procedures
      • Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) publications
      • Sustainable Procurement Policy
      • About eTendering
      • Invoicing
      • Procurement portal
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • e-Signing contracts
      • General conditions
      • Archived tenders
    • Services & activities
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Our services & structure
      • Quality
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Foundations
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • European Patent Convention
          • Guidelines for examination
          • Our staff
        • Enabling quality
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Prior art
          • Classification
          • Tools
          • Processes
        • Products & services
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Search
          • Examination
          • Opposition
          • Continuous improvement
        • Quality through networking
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • User engagement
          • Co-operation
          • User satisfaction survey
          • Stakeholder Quality Assurance Panels
        • Patent Quality Charter
        • Quality Action Plan
        • Quality dashboard
        • Statistics
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Search
          • Examination
          • Opposition
        • Integrated management at the EPO
      • Consulting our users
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Standing Advisory Committee before the EPO (SACEPO)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Objectives
          • SACEPO and its working parties
          • Meetings
          • Single Access Portal – SACEPO Area
        • Surveys
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Detailed methodology
          • Search services
          • Examination services, final actions and publication
          • Opposition services
          • Formalities services
          • Customer services
          • Filing services
          • Key Account Management (KAM)
          • Website
          • Archive
      • Our user service charter
      • European and international co-operation
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Co-operation with member states
          • Go back
          • Overview
        • Bilateral co-operation with non-member states
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Validation system
          • Reinforced Partnership programme
        • Multilateral international co-operation with IP offices and organisations
        • Co-operation with international organisations outside the IP system
      • European Patent Academy
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Partners
      • Chief Economist
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Economic studies
      • Ombuds Office
      • Reporting wrongdoing
    • Observatory on Patents and Technology
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Technologies
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Innovation against cancer
        • Assistive robotics
        • Space technologies
      • Innovation actors
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Startups and SMEs
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Publications
        • Research universities and public research organisations
      • Policy and funding
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Financing innovation programme
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Our studies on the financing of innovation
          • EPO initiatives for patent applicants
          • Financial support for innovators in Europe
        • Patents and standards
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Publications
          • Patent standards explorer
      • Tools
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Deep Tech Finder
      • About the Observatory
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Work plan
    • Transparency portal
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • General
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Annual Review 2024
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Executive summary
          • Driver 1 – People
          • Driver 2 – Technologies
          • Driver 3 – High-quality, timely products and services
          • Driver 4 – Partnerships
          • Driver 5 – Financial Sustainability
        • Annual Review 2023
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Foreword
          • Executive summary
          • 50 years of the EPC
          • Strategic key performance indicators
          • Goal 1: Engaged and empowered
          • Goal 2: Digital transformation
          • Goal 3: Master quality
          • Goal 4: Partner for positive impact
          • Goal 5: Secure sustainability
        • Annual Review 2022
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Foreword
          • Executive summary
          • Goal 1: Engaged and empowered
          • Goal 2: Digital transformation
          • Goal 3: Master quality
          • Goal 4: Partner for positive impact
          • Goal 5: Secure sustainability
      • Human
      • Environmental
      • Organisational
      • Social and relational
      • Economic
      • Governance
    • Statistics and trends
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Statistics & Trends Centre
      • Patent Index 2024
        • Go back
        • Insight into computer technology and AI
        • Insight into clean energy technologies
        • Statistics and indicators
          • Go back
          • European patent applications
            • Go back
            • Key trend
            • Origin
            • Top 10 technical fields
              • Go back
              • Computer technology
              • Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
              • Digital communication
              • Medical technology
              • Transport
              • Measurement
              • Biotechnology
              • Pharmaceuticals
              • Other special machines
              • Organic fine chemistry
            • All technical fields
          • Applicants
            • Go back
            • Top 50
            • Categories
            • Women inventors
          • Granted patents
            • Go back
            • Key trend
            • Origin
            • Designations
      • Data to download
      • EPO Data Hub
      • Clarification on data sources
    • History
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • 1970s
      • 1980s
      • 1990s
      • 2000s
      • 2010s
      • 2020s
    • Art collection
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • The collection
      • Let's talk about art
      • Artists
      • Media library
      • What's on
      • Publications
      • Contact
      • Culture Space A&T 5-10
        • Go back
        • Catalyst lab & Deep vision
          • Go back
          • Irene Sauter (DE)
          • AVPD (DK)
          • Jan Robert Leegte (NL)
          • Jānis Dzirnieks (LV) #1
          • Jānis Dzirnieks (LV) #2
          • Péter Szalay (HU)
          • Thomas Feuerstein (AT)
          • Tom Burr (US)
          • Wolfgang Tillmans (DE)
          • TerraPort
          • Unfinished Sculpture - Captives #1
          • Deep vision – immersive exhibition
          • Previous exhibitions
        • The European Patent Journey
        • Sustaining life. Art in the climate emergency
        • Next generation statements
        • Open storage
        • Cosmic bar
      • "Long Night"
  • Boards of Appeal
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • Decisions of the Boards of Appeal
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Recent decisions
      • Selected decisions
    • Information from the Boards of Appeal
    • Procedure
    • Oral proceedings
    • About the Boards of Appeal
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • President of the Boards of Appeal
      • Enlarged Board of Appeal
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Pending referrals (Art. 112 EPC)
        • Decisions sorted by number (Art. 112 EPC)
        • Pending petitions for review (Art. 112a EPC)
        • Decisions on petitions for review (Art. 112a EPC)
      • Technical Boards of Appeal
      • Legal Board of Appeal
      • Disciplinary Board of Appeal
      • Presidium
        • Go back
        • Overview
    • Code of Conduct
    • Business distribution scheme
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Technical boards of appeal by IPC in 2025
      • Archive
    • Annual list of cases
    • Communications
    • Annual reports
      • Go back
      • Overview
    • Publications
      • Go back
      • Abstracts of decisions
    • Case Law of the Boards of Appeal
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Archive
  • Service & support
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • Website updates
    • Availability of online services
      • Go back
      • Overview
    • FAQ
      • Go back
      • Overview
    • Publications
    • Ordering
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Patent Knowledge Products and Services
      • Terms and conditions
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Patent information products
        • Bulk data sets
        • Open Patent Services (OPS)
        • Fair use charter
    • Procedural communications
    • Useful links
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Patent offices of member states
      • Other patent offices
      • Directories of patent attorneys
      • Patent databases, registers and gazettes
      • Disclaimer
    • Contact us
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Filing options
      • Locations
    • Subscription centre
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Subscribe
      • Change preferences
      • Unsubscribe
    • Official holidays
    • Glossary
    • RSS feeds
Board of Appeals
Decisions

Recent decisions

Overview
  • 2025 decisions
  • 2024 decisions
  • 2023 decisions
  1. Home
  2. T 0423/03 10-10-2003
Facebook X Linkedin Email

T 0423/03 10-10-2003

European Case Law Identifier
ECLI:EP:BA:2003:T042303.20031010
Date of decision
10 October 2003
Case number
T 0423/03
Petition for review of
-
Application number
96200706.8
IPC class
C08G 64/20
Language of proceedings
EN
Distribution
DISTRIBUTED TO BOARD CHAIRMEN (C)

Download and more information:

Decision in EN 32.91 KB
Documentation of the appeal procedure can be found in the European Patent Register
Bibliographic information is available in:
EN
Versions
Unpublished
Application title

Method for producing an aromatic polycarbonate

Applicant name
Asahi Kasei Kabushiki Kaisha
Opponent name
-
Board
3.3.03
Headnote
-
Relevant legal provisions
European Patent Convention Art 76(1) 1973
European Patent Convention Art 123(2) 1973
Keywords
Divisional application extended beyond parent application (yes)
Catchword
-
Cited decisions
T 0441/92
Citing decisions
T 0402/00
T 0631/06
T 1545/07

I. European patent application No. 96 200 706.8, filed in accordance with Article 76 EPC as a divisional application of the earlier application 94 921 798.8 (21 July 1994), claiming a JP priority of 23 July 1993 (182 896/93) and published under No. 0 738 743 on 23 October 1996 (Bulletin 1996/43), was refused by a decision of the examining division issued in writing on 26 November 2002.

II. The decision was based on a single claim which read as follows:

"A method for producing an aromatic polycarbonate, which comprises:

introducing to an introduction zone having a perforated plate at least one polymerizing material selected from the group consisting of:

a molten monomer mixture of an aromatic dihydroxy compound and a diaryl carbonate, and

a molten prepolymer obtained by a process comprising reacting an aromatic dihydroxy compound with a diaryl carbonate, and

allowing said polymerizing material to pass downwardly through said perforated plate and fall through a fall polymerization reaction zone, thereby effecting a fall polymerization of said polymerizing material during the fall thereof to obtain a polymer at a bottom of said fall polymerization reaction zone, said fall being a wire-wetting fall, wherein said fall polymerization reaction zone has at least one wire provided in correspondence with at least one hole of the perforated plate and extending downwardly through said fall polymerization reaction zone."

III. The application was refused because the subject-matter of the claim then on file did not meet the requirements of Articles 123(2) and 76(1) EPC.

According to the decision, the original parent application did not disclose two inventions but only one single invention which remained the subject-matter of the parent application, ie free-fall polymerization. The claim underlying the decision was based on Comparative Example 1 of the parent application which was clearly an embodiment outside the scope of the only invention disclosed. It was, however, not possible to file a divisional application based on subject-matter which had not been described as forming part of the invention(s). Moreover, Comparative Example 1 of the parent application was apparently intended to illustrate the results achievable with a method already disclosed in the prior art.

IV. On 6 January 2003, a notice of appeal against the above decision was filed by the applicant (hereinafter referred to as the appellant), the prescribed fee being recorded as paid on the same date.

In the statement of grounds of appeal, filed on 28. March 2003, the appellant argued that the subject- matter of Comparative Example 1 undoubtedly was part of the parent application. Although it was admitted that Comparative Example 1 described an embodiment outside the invention claimed in the parent application, it was not or did not illustrate a method of the prior art. The mere fact that the method of Comparative Example 1 was not explicitly identified as a second invention in the parent application could not form a reason to refuse the application for violating Article 123(2) in combination with Article 76(1) EPC.

V. In a communication dated 4 July 2003 accompanying a summons to oral proceedings, the board raised objection against the claim under Article 76(1) and Article 123(2) EPC since the claimed subject-matter was an unallowable generalization of Comparative Example 1 of the parent application.

VI. In preparation for the oral proceedings, the appellant filed on 8 September 2003 a new claim (main request) and, as an auxiliary request, an alternative claim. The claim of the main request read as follows:

"A method for producing an aromatic polycarbonate, which comprises:

introducing to an introduction zone having a perforated plate at least one polymerizing material selected from the group consisting of:

a molten monomer mixture of an aromatic dihydroxy compound and a diaryl carbonate, and

a molten prepolymer obtained by a process comprising reacting an aromatic dihydroxy compound with a diaryl carbonate, said perforated plate having a plurality of holes each having an area of 0.01 to 100 cm2, and allowing said polymerizing material to pass downwardly through said perforated plate and fall through a fall polymerization reaction zone, thereby effecting a fall polymerization of said polymerizing material during the fall thereof to obtain a polymer at a bottom of said fall polymerization reaction zone, said fall being a wire-wetting fall, wherein said fall polymerization reaction zone has a plurality of wires provided in correspondence with said plurality of holes of the perforated plate and extending downwardly through said fall polymerization reaction zone."

The claim of the auxiliary request differed from the claim of the main request in that the further limitation "wherein the distance between adjacent holes is from 1 to 500 mm, as measured between the centers of the adjacent holes" was inserted after the wording "having a plurality of holes each having an area of 0.01. to 100 cm2".

VII. Oral proceedings were held on 10 October 2003, in the course of which the discussion focussed on the question whether or not the subject-matter of the claims of both requests on file was clearly and unambiguously derivable from the parent application (Article 76(1) EPC).

VIII. The appellant requested that the decision under appeal be set aside and that a patent be granted on the basis of the claim of the main request or, in the alternative, on the basis of the claim of the auxiliary request, both claims filed on 8 September 2003.

1. The appeal complies with Articles 106 to 108 EPC and Rule 64 EPC and is therefore admissible.

2. The issue to be dealt with in this appeal is whether or not the claimed subject-matter complies with the requirements of Articles 76(1) and 123(2) EPC.

Articles 76(1) and 123(2) EPC

3. The filing of a European divisional application is governed by Article 76 EPC. The second sentence of Article 76(1) EPC requires that a divisional application "may be filed only in respect of subject-matter which does not extend beyond the content of the earlier application as filed". An examination under Article 76(1) EPC thus bears a resemblance to that under Article 123(2) EPC. Nevertheless, it has to be born in mind that the requirement of Article 76(1) EPC is separate form that of Article 123(2) EPC. In fact, Article 76(1) EPC ensures that a divisional application does not extend beyond the content of the earlier (parent) application as filed whereas Article 123(2) EPC ensures that, once the conditions of Article 76(1) EPC have been met, the divisional application is not amended after filing in such a way that it contains subject-matter which extends beyond the content of the divisional application as filed (eg T 441/92 of 10. March 1995, not published in OJ EPO, points 4.1 and 4.2 of the reasons).

4. In the present case, the respective amended claim of the main and the auxiliary request has been filed after the filing of the divisional application so that the questions to be decided are

(a) whether or not the claimed subject-matter complies with the provisions of Article 76(1) EPC, and

(b) whether or not the amended claims meet also the requirements of Article 123(2) EPC, ie have a basis in the divisional application as filed.

Article 76(1) EPC

5. When carrying out the examination under Article 76(1) EPC, the subject-matter claimed in the divisional application has to be compared with the content of the earlier (parent) application as filed, whereby the content of an application comprises the whole disclosure, express or implied, that is directly and unambiguously derivable from the application including information which is implicit and immediately and unambiguously apparent to a person skilled in the art reading the application.

6. Each amended claim of the main and the auxiliary request is directed to a method for producing an aromatic polycarbonate via a wire-wetting fall polymerization whereby the polymerizing material is allowed to pass downwardly through a perforated plate having a plurality of holes each having an area of 0.01 to 100 cm2 whereby a plurality of wires is provided in correspondence with that plurality of holes of the perforated plate. It is a matter of fact that the parent application as filed does not explicitly disclose the claimed subject-matter so that the relevant question is whether or not there is a clear and unambiguous implicit disclosure thereof in the parent application as filed.

7. The appellant was trying to establish that the disclosure of the parent application related to fall polymerization in general as a method for producing an aromatic polycarbonate encompassing two alternatives, namely free-fall polymerization and non-free-fall polymerization with wire-wetting fall polymerization as an example of the latter. Although free-fall polymerization was, according to the appellant, certainly the preferred embodiment of fall polymerization, the parent application envisaged also non-free-fall polymerization where a falling polymerization material contacts an object causing resistance to fall, such as a wall or a guide. Examples of non- free-fall polymerization mentioned in the parent application as filed were wall-wetting polymerization (Claim 7), guide- wetting polymerization (page 20, lines 3 to 15, page 34, lines 17 to 21 and page 35, lines 8 to 11) and wire-wetting polymerization (Comparative Example 1), as a specific example of guide-wetting polymerization. Thus, a person skilled in the art could recognize that the parent application as filed disclosed a separate invention (or embodiment) relating to non- free-fall polymerization, and in particular to wire-wetting fall polymerization.

7.1. First of all, the board takes note that the focus of the parent application as filed is entirely on free-fall polymerization which is presented on 127 pages as the invention. There is no general reference to fall polymerization under which it would be possible to subsume an even handed presentation of two different embodiments of fall polymerization. In fact, the unqualified term "fall polymerization" is not used in a single phrase in the parent application.

7.2. As regards the appellant's reference to Claim 7 of the parent application, it is true that Claim 7 discloses a combination of an agitation polymerization, a wall-wetting fall polymerization and a free-fall polymerization. However, as can be seen from page 46, lines 2 to 5 and page 54, lines 14. to 18 of the parent application as filed, this embodiment is a combination of the present invention, ie free-fall polymerization, with other polymerization methods. Again, the focus is on the invention and Claim 7 does by no means establish wall-wetting polymerization as part of a separate invention relating to non-free-fall polymerization.

7.3. Also the passages at pages 34 and page 35 do not disclose guide-wetting polymerization as an example of non-free-fall polymerization. Page 34 contains a definition of the terminology "free-fall" which means that "... a falling polymerizing material does not contact an object causing resistance to fall, such as a guide or wall" (page 34, lines 19. to 21). Page 35 describes the perforated plate used in the free-fall polymerization which may have a nozzle or a guide connected thereto "as long as a polymerization material can fall freely after passing such a nozzle or guide" (page 35, lines 10 to 11). Thus, these passages define exactly the opposite of what the appellant wants to gather from these passages, namely free-fall polymerization.

7.4. During the oral proceedings, the appellant relied mainly on the passage at page 20 which is in fact the only passage in the parent application referring to non-free-fall polymerization. This passage reads as follows: "Further, it has become clear that aromatic polycarbonates can be produced more easily by a free-fall polymerization process than by a non-free-fall polymerization, such as polymerization by allowing a polymerizing material to fall along and in contact with a guide. This is also surprising because, according to conventional knowledge regarding a method for producing polyesters and polyamides, it has been recognized that a non- free-fall process is superior to a free-fall process. This fact clearly shows that knowledge about the polymerization reaction of polyesters and polyamides cannot be applied to the polymerization of aromatic polycarbonates."

7.4.1. It is conspicuous to the board that this passage neither refers to non-free-fall polymerization as a separate "invention" nor describes general aspects of non-free-fall polymerization. On the contrary, the statement in that passage was made, in the board's view, to highlight the surprising effect associated with free-fall polymerization in the context of the previously discussed prior art. This is evident from the reference in the second sentence to "conventional knowledge". In the light of this, therefore, a person skilled in the art would have no reason to interpret the reference to non-free-fall polymerization as the presentation of a second, separate invention besides free-fall polymerization.

7.4.2. But even if the board accepted, in favour of the appellant, that the passage at page 20 discloses a separate invention (or embodiment) directed to non-free-fall polymerization, the information provided in this passage is rather limited and, as mentioned above, does not describe general aspects of non-free-fall polymerization let alone such details as a perforated plate with a plurality of holes of a specific size as required in the claim of the main and of the auxiliary request. In order to arrive at the claimed subject- matter, it would be necessary to combine the quite minimal disclosure of non-free-fall polymerization at page 20 with details disclosed only in the context of free-fall polymerization. Such a combination is, however, not allowable since, firstly, the passage at page 20 has no grammatical or factual relationship to the following general description, the latter in any case being directed exclusively to free-fall polymerization, and, secondly, there is no other hint in the parent application which would suggest that the details disclosed for free-fall polymerization would apply equally to non-free-fall polymerization. Hence, the claim of each request defines an embodiment comprising features which were never linked before, contrary to Article 76(1) EPC.

7.5. It remains to be examined whether Comparative Example 1, alone or in combination with the passage at page 20, could be considered as a valid basis for the claimed subject-matter, since Comparative Example 1 is indeed a concrete disclosure of wire-wetting fall polymerization. Although this example is presented in the parent application as a comparative example, the board, in principle, agrees with the appellant that a comparative example could form the basis of a divisional application, provided such a divisional application meets the requirements of the EPC.

7.5.1. Comparative Example 1 describes a wire-wetting fall polymerization where "50 strands of 0.1 mm Ø SUS 316 wires were hung vertically from the respective holes of the perforated plate to the reservoir portion at the bottom of the free-fall polymerizer, so that the prepolymer did not fall freely (not free-fall) but fell along and in contact with the wires (wire-wetting fall)". However, as explained above, neither the passage at page 20 nor the remaining parent application as filed disclose general aspects of non-free-fall polymerization and wire-wetting fall polymerization, respectively, which would support a generalization of the concrete technical information given in Comparative Example 1.

7.5.2. Quite apart from the above, the generalization includes the omission of a concrete feature of Comparative Example 1 which amounts to the disclosure of a new type of fall polymerization. According to Comparative Example 1, the wires extend from the holes of the perforated plate to the reservoir portion at the bottom of the polymerizer. This feature has been omitted in the claims of both requests. As a consequence, the wires can end now at any height above the reservoir so that a free-fall polymerization immediately follows the wire-wetting fall polymerization, namely from the end of the wire down to the reservoir portion at the bottom of the polymerizer. Such a fundamental change of emphasis in the understanding of non-free-fall polymerization, and in particular of wire-wetting fall polymerization, to include a combination with a free-fall polymerization is not clearly and unambiguously derivable from Comparative Example 1, whether taken alone or in combination with the passage at page 20.

7.5.3. It follows from the above that Comparative Example 1, whether taken alone or in combination with the passage at page 20, is not a valid basis for the claimed subject-matter in the sense of Article 76(1) EPC.

8. In summary, the appellant was inviting the board to perceive a generality of disclosure in the earlier (parent) application which is not clearly and unambiguously derivable therefrom. In fact, the appellant's broad interpretation of parts of the parent application links features which were never linked before. Such an approach, which might be appropriate in the case of obviousness, cannot succeed in relation to Article 76(1) EPC. Hence, the claim of the main request and of the auxiliary request, respectively, fails to meet the requirements of Article 76(1) EPC.

9. As the amended claims of both the main and the auxiliary request are found to contain subject-matter which extends beyond the content of the earlier (parent) application, any further consideration as to whether the amended claims also meet the separate requirement of Article 123(2) EPC is superfluous.

Order

ORDER

For these reasons it is decided that:

The appeal is dismissed.

Footer - Service & support
  • Service & support
    • Website updates
    • Availability of online services
    • FAQ
    • Publications
    • Procedural communications
    • Contact us
    • Subscription centre
    • Official holidays
    • Glossary
Footer - More links
  • Jobs & careers
  • Press centre
  • Single Access Portal
  • Procurement
  • Boards of Appeal
Facebook
European Patent Office
EPO Jobs
Instagram
EuropeanPatentOffice
Linkedin
European Patent Office
EPO Jobs
EPO Procurement
X (formerly Twitter)
EPOorg
EPOjobs
Youtube
TheEPO
Footer
  • Legal notice
  • Terms of use
  • Data protection and privacy
  • Accessibility