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
      • Searching Asian documents: patent search and monitoring services
      • EP full-text search
      • Bibliographic coverage in Espacenet and OPS
      • Full-text coverage in Espacenet and OPS
    • Legal information
      • Overview
      • European Patent Register
      • European Patent Bulletin
      • European Case Law Identifier sitemap
      • Searching Asian documents
      • Third-party observations
    • Business information
      • Overview
      • PATSTAT
      • IPscore
      • Patent insight reports
    • Data
      • Overview
      • Linked open EP data
      • Bulk data sets
      • Web services
      • Coverage, codes and statistics
    • 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

    UP search

    Learn about the Unitary Patent in patent knowledge products and services

  • 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
    • MyEPO services
      • Overview
      • Understand our services
      • Get access
      • Find a professional representative
      • File with us
      • Interact on your files
      • Online Filing & fee payment outages
      • Tutorials
    • Forms
      • Overview
      • Request for examination
    • Fees
      • Overview
      • European fees (EPC)
      • International fees (PCT)
      • Unitary Patent fees (UP)
      • Fee payment and refunds
      • Warning

    UP

    Unitary Patent

  • 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
      • EPC Guidelines
      • PCT-EPO Guidelines
      • Guidelines revision cycle
      • Extension / validation system
      • London Agreement
      • National law relating to the EPC
      • Unitary patent system
      • National law relating to the UP
    • 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

    legal text

    Legal texts

  • 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
      • Watch the 2022 ceremony
    • 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
      • Firefighting technologies
      • Green tech in focus
      • CodeFest on Green Plastics
      • Clean energy technologies
      • IP and youth
      • Research institutes
      • Women inventors
      • Fighting coronavirus
      • 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

    Listen to our podcast

  • Learning

    Learning

    The e-Academy – the point of access to your learning

    Go to overview 

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

    European Patent Academy

    Boost your IP knowledge with (e-)training from the European Patent Academy

  • 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
      • A glimpse of the planned activities
      • Kids’ collaborative art competition
      • 50 Leading Tech Voices
    • Legal foundations and member states
      • Overview
      • Legal foundations
      • Member states of the European Patent Organisation
      • Extension states
      • Validation states
    • Governance
      • Overview
      • Communiqués
      • Calendar
      • Select Committee documents
      • Administrative Council
    • Principles & strategy
      • Overview
      • Our mission, vision, values and corporate policy
      • Public consultation on the EPO's Strategic Plan 2028
      • Towards a New Normal
    • Leadership & management
      • Overview
      • President António Campinos
      • Management Advisory Committee
    • Social responsibility
      • Overview
      • Environment and sustainability
      • Art collection
    • Services & activities
      • Overview
      • Our services & structure
      • Consulting our users
      • European and international co-operation
      • European Patent Academy
      • Chief Economist
      • Ombuds Office
      • Reporting wrongdoing
    • Procurement
      • Overview
      • Procurement forecast
      • Doing business with the EPO
      • Procurement procedures
      • 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
      • EPO Data Hub
      • Clarification on data sources
    • History
      • Overview
      • 1970s
      • 1980s
      • 1990s
      • 2000s
      • 2010s
      • 2020s

    about us

    Patent Index 2022

 
en de fr
  • Language selection
  • English
  • Deutsch
  • Français
Main navigation
  • Homepage
  • New to patents
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • What's your big idea?
    • Are you ready?
    • What to expect
    • How to apply for a patent
    • Your business and patents
    • Is it patentable?
    • Are you first?
    • Why do we have patents?
    • 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
        • Cross-reference index for Euro-PCT applications
        • EP authority file
        • Help
      • Searching Asian documents
      • EP full-text search
      • Bibliographic coverage in Espacenet and OPS
      • Full-text coverage in Espacenet
    • 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
            • Go back
            • Overview
            • BG - Federated Register Service
            • GB - Federated Register Service
            • NL - Federated Register Service
            • MK - Federated Register Service
            • ES - Federated Register Service
            • GR - Federated Register Service
            • SK - Federated Register Service
            • FR - Federated Register Service
            • MT - Federated Register Service
          • Register events
      • European Patent Bulletin
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Download Bulletin
        • EP Bulletin search
        • Help
      • European Case Law Identifier sitemap
      • Searching Asian documents
      • Third-party observations
    • Business information
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • PATSTAT
      • IPscore
        • Go back
        • Release notes
      • Patent insight reports
    • Data
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • 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)
          • Go back
          • EBD files (weekly download) - free of charge
            • Go back
            • Secure EBD ST.36 files (weekly download) - for national patent offices only
        • Boards of Appeal decisions
        • EP full-text data for text analytics
      • Web services
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Open Patent Services (OPS)
        • European Publication Server
      • Coverage, codes and statistics
        • Go back
        • Weekly updates
        • Updated regularly
    • Helpful resources
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • First time here? Patent information explained.
        • 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
          • Unitary Patent Guide
          • Main features
          • Applying for a Unitary Patent
          • Cost of a Unitary Patent
          • Translation and compensation
          • Start date
        • 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
        • Online Filing 2.0 pilot
        • MyEPO Portfolio - pilot phase
        • Online Filing 2.0 pilot continuation
        • Exchange data with us using an API
      • Get access
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Installation and activation
      • Find a professional representative
      • File with us
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • What if our online filing services are down?
        • Release notes
      • Interact on your files
      • Online Filing & fee payment outages
      • Tutorials
    • 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
      • Request for examination
  • 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
      • EPC Guidelines
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Archive
      • PCT-EPO Guidelines
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Archive
      • Guidelines revision cycle
      • Extension / validation system
      • London Agreement
      • National law relating to the EPC
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Archive
      • Unitary Patent system
      • 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 finalists
      • Nominations
      • Watch the 2023 ceremony
      • European Inventor Network
        • Go back
        • Activities granted in 2023
    • 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
      • Firefighting technologies
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Detection and prevention of fires
        • Fire extinguishing
        • Protective equipment
        • Post-fire restoration
      • Green tech in focus
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • About green tech
        • Renewable energies
        • Energy transition technologies
        • Building a greener future
      • CodeFest on Green Plastics
      • Clean energy technologies
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Renewable energy
        • Carbon-intensive industries
        • Energy storage and other enabling technologies
      • IP and youth
      • Research institutes
      • Women inventors
      • 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
      • 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
        • Patents and standards
        • Artificial intelligence
        • Fourth Industrial Revolution
      • Additive manufacturing
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • About AM
        • AM innovation
      • Books by EPO experts
    • Podcast
  • Learning
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • European Patent Academy
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Learning activities
      • Learning Paths
    • Professional hub
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • EPAC - European patent administration certification
      • EQE - European Qualifying Examination
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Archive
        • Candidates successful in the European qualifying examination
        • Compendium
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Pre-examination
          • Paper A
          • Paper B
          • Paper C
          • Paper D
    • Learning resources by area of interest
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Patent granting
      • Technology transfer and dissemination
      • Patent enforcement and litigation
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Patent enforcement in Europe
        • Patent litigation in Europe
    • 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
        • Inventors' handbook
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Introduction
          • Disclosure and confidentiality
          • Novelty and prior art
            • Go back
            • Overview
            • Is the idea ‘obvious’?
            • Prior art searching
            • Professional patent searching
            • Simple Espacenet searching
            • What is prior art?
            • Why is novelty important?
          • Competition and market potential
            • Go back
            • Overview
            • Research guidelines
          • Assessing the risk ahead
            • Go back
            • Overview
            • Exploitation routes
            • Significant commercial potential
            • Significant novelty
            • What about you?
            • What if your idea is not novel but does have commercial potential?
          • Proving the invention
            • Go back
            • Overview
            • Help with design or redesign
            • Prototype strategy
          • Protecting your idea
            • Go back
            • Overview
            • Forms of IPR
            • Patenting strategy
            • The patenting process
          • Building a team and seeking funding
            • Go back
            • Overview
            • Building a team
            • Sources of funding
            • Sources of help for invention
          • Business planning
            • Go back
            • Overview
            • Constructing a business plan
            • Keep it short!
          • Finding and approaching companies
            • Go back
            • Overview
            • First contact
            • Meetings
          • Dealing with companies
            • Go back
            • Overview
            • Advance or guaranteed payment
            • Companies and your prototype
            • Full agreement – and beyond
            • Negotiating a licensing agreement
            • Reaching agreement
            • Royalties
        • 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
          • For IP professionals
          • For business decision-makers
          • For stakeholders of the innovation ecosystem
        • IP clinics
      • EQE Candidates
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Coffee-break questions
        • Daily D questions
        • European qualifying examination - Guide for preparation
      • 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
        • Academic Research Programme
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Completed research projects
          • Current research projects
        • 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
        • IP Teaching Kit
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Download modules
        • Intellectual property course design manual
  • About us
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • The EPO at a glance
    • 50 years of the EPC
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • 50 Leading Tech Voices
      • 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
    • Governance
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Communiqués
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • 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
      • Towards a New Normal
      • Data protection & privacy notice
    • Leadership & management
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • About the President
      • Management Advisory Committee
    • Procurement
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Procurement forecast
      • Doing business with the EPO
      • Procurement procedures
      • About eTendering
      • Procurement portal
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • e-Signing contracts
      • Invoicing
      • 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
        • Statistics
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Search
          • Examination
          • Opposition
      • 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
      • 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
    • Statistics and trends
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Statistics & Trends Centre
      • EPO Data Hub
      • Clarification on data sources
    • Social responsibility
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Environment
      • Art collection
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • The collection
        • Let's talk about art
        • Artists
        • Media library
        • What's on
        • Publications
        • Contact
    • History
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • 1970s
      • 1980s
      • 1990s
      • 2000s
      • 2010s
      • 2020s
    • Transparency portal
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • General
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • 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
  • Boards of Appeal
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • Decisions of the Boards of Appeal
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Recent decisions
      • Selected decisions
    • Procedure
    • Annual reports
      • Go back
      • Overview
    • Organisation
      • 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
        • Composition of the Presidium
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Archive
    • Code of Conduct
    • Business distribution scheme
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Technical boards of appeal by IPC in 2023
      • Archive
    • Annual list of cases
    • Communications
    • Publications
    • Case Law of the Boards of Appeal
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Archive
    • Case Law from the Contracting States to the EPC
    • Oral proceedings
  • Service & support
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • Website updates
    • Availability of online services
      • Go back
      • Overview
    • FAQ
      • Go back
      • Overview
    • Publications
    • Ordering
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • 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
      • Legal resources
      • Directories of patent attorneys
      • Patent databases, registers and gazettes
      • Disclaimer
    • Contact us
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Filing options
      • Locations
      • Specific contact
      • Surveys
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Search services
        • Examination services, final actions and publication
        • Opposition services
        • Patent filings
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Detailed methodology
          • Archive
        • Online Services
        • Patent information
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Innovation process survey
        • Customer services
        • Filing services
        • Website
        • Survey on electronic invoicing
        • Companies innovating in clean and sustainable technologies
    • Subscription centre
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Subscribe
      • Change preferences
      • Unsubscribe
    • Official holidays
    • Forums
    • Glossary
Board of Appeals
Decisions

Recent decisions

Overview
  • 2023 decisions
  • 2022 decisions
  • 2021 decisions
https://www.epo.org/en/node/t900939eu1
  1. Home
  2. T 0939/90 16-12-1993
Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email

T 0939/90 16-12-1993

European Case Law Identifier
ECLI:EP:BA:1993:T093990.19931216
Date of decision
16 December 1993
Case number
T 0939/90
Petition for review of
-
Application number
84308548.1
IPC class
C08L 69/00
Language of proceedings
EN
Distribution
DISTRIBUTED TO BOARD CHAIRMEN (C)

Download and more information:

Decision in EN 709.15 KB
Documentation of the appeal procedure can be found in the European Patent Register
Bibliographic information is available in:
EN
Versions
Unpublished
Application title

Polymer compositions

Applicant name
ARCO Chemical Technology, Inc.
Opponent name

OI) BASF Aktiengesellschaft

OII) Stamicarbon B.V.

Board
3.3.03
Headnote
-
Relevant legal provisions
European Patent Convention Art 56 1973
European Patent Convention Art 114(1) 1973
Keywords

Inventive step - state of the art

Late submitted material - evidence admitted (yes)

Catchword
-
Cited decisions
T 0270/90
Citing decisions
T 2415/09
T 0097/94
T 0097/94
T 1193/21
T 0097/94
T 0894/97
T 0097/94
T 0305/94

I. The grant of European patent No. 0 148 594, relating to a polymer composition comprising a polycarbonate and a copolymer of monovinyl aromatic monomer and maleimide monomer, in respect of European patent application No. 84 308 548.1, filed on 7 December 1984 and claiming a priority of 27 December 1983 (US 566064), was announced on 10 August 1988 (cf. Bulletin 88/32).

II. Notices of Opposition were filed on the grounds of Article 100(a) EPC, alleging lack of novelty (Opponent OII) and inventive step (Opponents OI, OII), as well as on the ground of Article 100(b) EPC (Opponent OI).

The oppositions were supported inter alia by the following documents:

D1: US-A-4 160 792 and

D2: US-A-3 998 907.

III. The patent was revoked by a decision of the Opposition Division of 28 August 1990, issued in writing on 12. October 1990.

According to the decision, in which evidence filed on 22. August 1990 was disregarded for lateness and lack of relevance, the objection based on Article 100(b) EPC was not supported by the facts, and the subject-matter of the patent as amended in both the then main and sole subsidiary requests was novel. It would, however, have been obvious for the skilled person, starting from the closest state of the art document (D1) and wanting to provide further compatible polycarbonate compositions, to have tested whether terpolymers of styrene, N-phenylmaleimide and maleic anhydride known from document D2 would be suitable for the same purpose, D1 containing a reference to D2. To have specified arbitrarily a minimum amount of maleic anhydride in the terpolymer, i.e. 2 wt%, did not render obvious matter inventive.

IV. On 7 December 1990 a notice of appeal against the above decision was filed, together with payment of the prescribed fee.

In the Grounds of Appeal filed on 20 February 1991 and a later submission dated 27 October 1993, the Appellant (Patentee) argued essentially as follows:

The "Composition B" of D1 was not in fact the same as the copolymer described in Example I of D2. Even if "Composition B" had been the same as the copolymer described in Example I of D2, however, it was wrong to have concluded that it would have been obvious to test whether the copolymer of Example VI of D2 was suitable for the same purpose as "Composition B" in D1, because there would have been no reason to expect any success. On the contrary, the reference in D1 to there being some association of the imide groups of the copolymer with the carbonate entity of the polycarbonate chain meant that there was a disincentive to the skilled person to try to replace maleimide employed in the terpolymer of D2 with an N-substituted maleimide.

Furthermore, the Appellant took the position that it was wrong to have excluded the evidence filed on 22 August 1990, and as further evidence as to the unpredictability of compatible blends, sought to introduce two further documents:

D4: "Polymer Alloys", Chemical Week, 2 May 1983, page 72 etc. and

D5: "Heterogeneous Polymer Systems III. Phase Separation in Styrene-Acrylonitrile Copolymers", Polymer Letters, Volume 3 (1965), pages 1007-1015.

V. The Respondents (Opponents), on the other hand, argued in essence as follows:

The definition of "Composition B" in D1 referred to Example 1 of D2. It was furthermore clear from D2 that even with an excess of amine, the imidation reaction did not go to completion, so that there was always a partial retention of the anhydride function, corresponding to the terpolymers claimed in the patent in suit. Since the actual technical problem was merely to find a further alternative polycarbonate composition which was compatible, there was no requirement for any expectation of advantage in considering further alternatives; furthermore, since there was a great similarity between terpolymers with substituted maleimide or with unsubstituted maleimide, it would indeed have been obvious to test whether a substituted maleimide known from D2, viz. (N-phenyl)maleimide, would be suitable for the same purpose as the unsubstituted maleimide in D1.

The assertion that compatibility between polymers could be lost by just changing the relative concentrations had not been proved; in particular no evidence had been brought that there was a sudden change in compatibility at the point where the claimed compositions departed from the state of the art.

The Respondent (OI) further referred for the first time to two documents in support of his submissions:

D7: "Polymer-Polymer-Miscibility", O. Olabisi et al., Academic Press, New York, 1970, page 120, and

D8: "Makromoleküle", H.-G. Elias, Hüthig & Wepf, 5th Edition, Basel, 1990, page 854 et seq.

VI. At the oral proceedings held before the Board on 16. December 1993, the Appellant filed a further set of Claims 1 to 5. Claim 1, the only independent claim, reads as follows:

"A polymer composition comprising polycarbonate and a copolymer of monovinyl aromatic monomer and maleimide monomer, characterised in that said composition is a polymer alloy wherein the polycarbonate and the copolymer are fully compatible with one another and comprises in weight percent, from 1 to 99 of thermoplastic polycarbonate based on bis-(hydroxyaryl)- alkane and from 99 to 1 of a random terpolymer of 70 to 90% by weight of recurring units of styrene, 2 to 24% by weight of recurring units of N-phenyl maleimide, and 2 to 24% by weight of recurring units of maleic anhydride, the total of the weight % of the three components of the tercopolymer adding up to 100."

VII. The Appellant requests that the decision under appeal be set aside and that the patent be maintained on the basis of the claims submitted in the course of the oral proceedings. These claims, although still headed "Claims according to 2nd subsidiary request", in fact form the main and sole request.

The Respondents request that the appeal be dismissed.

1. The appeal is admissible.

2. Late filed facts and evidence

The documents D4, D5, D7 and D8 are excluded from the proceedings under Article 114(2) EPC for lateness and lack of relevance.

As to the evidence submitted on 22 August 1990, this was, in the Board's view, rightly excluded by the Opposition Division to the extent that its lateness practically precluded the Opponents from countering it by tests of their own (cf. the decision T 270/90 of 21. March 1991, "Polyphenylene ether compositions/ASAHI", OJ EPO 1993, 725; Reasons for the decision, point 2.2, last paragraph; omitted from the published text). On the other hand, and for obvious reasons, this no longer applies to the present appeal proceedings. Consequently, on this occasion the evidence is admitted.

3. Admissibility of amendments

Claim 1 is supported by Claims 1, 8 and 11 of the application as filed; Claims 2 and 3 by Claims 2 and 3 respectively as filed; and Claims 4 and 5 by Claims 9 and 10 respectively as filed. The inclusion of further features has furthermore limited Claim 1.

Consequently, there are no objections to the amended claims under Article 123(2) or 123(3) EPC.

4. Closest state of the art

The polymer composition to which Claim 1 of the patent in suit relates is a polymer "alloy" wherein the polycarbonate and the copolymer are fully compatible, i.e. form a single phase when mixed in any proportion. Such polymer alloys are known, for instance, from the document D1, which represents the closest state of the art.

4.1. According to D1, plastic alloys which contained a plurality of thermoplastic compositions had been discovered, but represented a minority. Because incompatibility remained the "dominating rule", any discovery of a useful blend represented a "pragmatic invention" which could not have been predicted on the basis of previous publications (column 1, lines 20 to 30).

4.2. Outstandingly advantageous properties had been discovered for copolymers of styrene and maleimide, N-methyl maleimide, maleic diamide, bis (N-methyl) maleic diamide and related compounds, designated styrene-maleimide polymers. It had been efficient to produce such copolymers by copolymerising styrene and maleic anhydride and thereafter treating the copolymer with methylamine or ammonia to obtain such styrene-maleimide copolymers. US-A-3 998 907 [D2] described a method of preparing maleimide-containing copolymers by reacting amine or ammonia with particles of the copolymer comprising maleic anhydride under autogenous pressure at 125° to 200°C. (column 1, lines 39 to 57).

4.3. Thus, a thermoplastic moulding composition comprised:

A. from about 10% to about 90% by weight of a polycarbonate,

B. from about 10% to about 90% by weight of a copolymer of maleimide and styrene containing from about 5% to about 35% maleimide and from about 65% to about 95% styrene (Claim 1).

4.4. According to Examples 1 to 3, Composition A was a polycarbonate prepared from the high molecular weight carbonate ester derivative of bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)- 2,2-propane; Composition B was a copolymer of styrene and about 8% maleimide prepared by the method of Example 1 of US-A-3 998 907 [D2], using aqueous ammonia at a temperature of about 147°C for about 12 h. at a pressure of about 5 atm. (column 2, lines 8 to 21).

4.5. There is no mention of maleic anhydride units in the copolymers of D1.

Although it cannot be said in this latter connection that the introductory word "containing" in Claim 1 of itself excludes the presence of further monomers, or that there is any specific instruction to avoid the presence of further monomers, the presentation of the percentages of only two comonomers in complementary terms up to 100%, together with the complete silence as to any further monomer, strongly implies that no further monomers are contemplated and in any case does not amount to the disclosure of any such additional monomer.

Thus the whole tenor of the text of D1 is that the copolymers it discloses consist of a maleimide and styrene, with substantially no third monomer being present.

5. Evaluation of the reference to D2

A crucial question in these proceedings was whether "Composition B" as defined in D1, by virtue of the reference to Example I of D2, was to be interpreted as implying a corresponding amount of anhydride units.

5.1. According to D2, modified copolymers containing an imide derivative could be prepared directly by reacting aqueous ammonia or amines at 125° to 200°C and under autogenous pressures of between 60 and 150 psi for 0.5 to 48 h. with a modified copolymer containing an ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acid, its anhydride, or a half acid derivative of the dicarboxylic acid (column 1, lines 50 to 58).

The ammonia or amines could be used in stoichiometric amounts based on the dicarboxylic acid moiety in the copolymer. However, it was preferred to use an excess of the stoichiometric amount to ensure complete conversion of the dicarboxylic acid moiety to the desired imide or N-substituted imide. Use of less than stoichiometric amounts of the amine made it possible to prepare terpolymers (column 3, lines 34 to 45).

5.1.1. According to Example I of D2, to which D1 refers, pellets of a copolymer of styrene and maleic anhydride containing 10.9 mole percent anhydride, were treated with aqueous ammonium hydroxide solution, in an autoclave heated to 139° to 147°C for about 12 h., during which time the pressure varied between 63 and 86. psi. The product had about 2.0 mole percent maleic anhydride groups and 8.9 mole percent maleimide groups.

5.1.2. According to Example III, a series of copolymers of styrene and respective amounts of maleic anhydride from 2.0. mole-% to 33.0 mole-% were heated together with water, ammonium hydroxide and a small amount of an aqueous polyvinyl alcohol solution in individual sealed bottles for 12 h.; in all cases essentially quantitative conversion to styrene-maleimide was found.

5.1.3. According to Example VI, a mixture produced by refluxing styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer, polyvinyl alcohol solution, aniline and water under nitrogen in a resin kettle was heated at 140°C for 12 h. under nitrogen in a sealed bottle. The copolymer product contained 15.9. mole % N-phenylmaleimide and 2.2 mole % maleic anhydride moieties.

A second sample, after additional heating in the presence of further aniline, had essentially all of the remaining anhydride moieties converted to the N-phenylmaleimide derivative (0.5 mole % anhydride and 17.6. mole % N-phenylmaleimide).

Thus, while terpolymers containing a proportion of unreacted maleic anhydride units are disclosed in D2, it is clearly preferred to achieve a high level of conversion to imide, by using a stoichiometric excess of amine or ammonia. Indeed, according to the decision under appeal (which was not challenged on this point), the amount of residual maleic anhydride units corresponded, in the case of Example I of D2, to only 1.9. % by weight of the polymer product (see Reasons for the Decision, paragraph 7.1). Such a small residue can only be regarded as an incidental impurity.

5.2. The argument put forward at the oral proceedings, that this reference imported the whole of the disclosure of D2 into D1, and not only Example I thereof, ignores the plain language used. It is also beside the point, since even if the whole of the content of D2 were held to be "imported" in some way by this reference, it is clear that the instruction to the skilled person for the carrying out of Examples 1 to 3 of D1, is to use the method of Example I of D2, and not the method of any other Example.

5.3. The question raised by the Respondent OII at the oral proceedings as to why, if quantitative conversion had been required, the reference was not to Example III of D2, is in the Board's view speculative and therefore irrelevant. It was, however, refuted by the unopposed statement of the Appellant, that Example III required the presence of polyvinyl alcohol which was undesirable, whereas Example I did not.

5.4. As to what is to be understood from the reference to Example I, it is noticeable that what is mentioned is the method, rather than the product, of the Example I of D2, being used.

Furthermore, whereas certain of the relevant parameters of the method (temperature, pressure and time of reaction; use of ammonia) are already specifically stated in D1, the remainder are not mentioned at all in D1. In particular, neither the nature of the starting polymer nor the concentration of the ammonia used are specified in D1. These are, however, also crucial factors determining the extent to which conversion to the imide occurs.

5.4.1. The argument that the unstated parameters must be the same as those given in D2 is not convincing, because those parameters which are explicitly stated in D1 already fall within the ranges given for the corresponding parameters in Example I of D2. Thus, there is no particular reason for regarding the remaining features with respect to which D1 is silent as necessarily being found in D2.

On the contrary, equally strong arguments exist that the unspecified parameters of the method should be construed in the light of the aims and objects of D1, i.e. to give a copolymer consisting essentially only of recurring units of styrene and a maleimide.

All in all, the wording of the reference to D2, whilst not excluding the possibility of "Composition B" of D1 and the product of Example I of D2 being identical, is nevertheless not such as to require it.

5.4.2. The general tenor of D1 on the other hand is in any case such as to require substantially complete conversion (cf. section 4.5, above).

Thus, D1 evidently discloses with reference to D2 a copolymer consisting essentially only of recurring units of styrene and maleimide; if any residual maleic anhydride units are present, they represent an unintentional impurity amounting to not more than 1.9 % by weight of the copolymer.

5.5. In view of the above, D1 cannot be regarded as disclosing a terpolymer containing essentially recurring units of styrene, maleic anhydride in significant amounts, and a maleimide.

6. The Technical problem and its solution

Compared with the closest state of the art, the technical problem could be seen as the search for further fully compatible polymer alloys, based on thermoplastic polycarbonate.

The solution according to Claim 1 of the patent in suit was to replace "Composition B" of D1 with a random terpolymer of 70 to 90 % by weight of recurring units of styrene, 2 to 24 % by weight of recurring units of N-phenyl maleimide, and 2 to 24 % by weight of recurring units of maleic anhydride, the total weight of the three components adding up to 100 %.

6.1. From the information given in the Examples of the patent in suit, especially Examples VII and IX, it can be seen that, as the amount of styrene falls below 70 wt% (corresponding to an excess of combined maleic anhydride and maleimide units), the full compatibility shown by the terpolymer of Example VI gives way to only partial compatibility.

On the other hand, the lower limit of 2 % by weight on each of these latter monomers evidently defines a minimum level at which their presence can be regarded as significant in the terpolymer.

6.2. The argument, put forward at the oral proceedings, that contents of 2 % were so low as to encounter problems of experimental detection was an assertion unsupported by any evidence, and indeed directly contradicted by the figures given in D1.

It is thus credible that the claimed product provides an effective solution of the technical problem.

7. Novelty

The solution of the above technical problem differs from the closest state of the art document D1 essentially in two respects.

7.1. Firstly, as established in section 5 above, "Composition B" of D1 cannot be regarded as a terpolymer containing significant amounts of anhydride units.

7.2. Secondly, Example I of D2, to which D1 refers, discloses unsubstituted maleimide as the imide monomer, whereas the derivative called for by the solution to the technical problem is N-phenyl maleimide.

Thus novelty is established over the disclosure of D1.

7.3. There is no disclosure in D2 of polymer alloys, let alone of such alloys containing polycarbonate.

Thus novelty is also established over the disclosure of D2.

Consequently, the subject-matter of Claim 1 is novel.

8. Inventive step

The next question to be decided is whether the skilled person, starting from D1, would have perceived that further fully compatible polycarbonate-based compositions could be obtained by replacing the styrene/unsubstituted maleimide copolymer ("Component B" in D1) by a terpolymer of styrene with significant amounts of N-phenyl maleimide and maleic anhydride units.

8.1. There is no incentive in D1 itself to make either of the modifications forming the solution to the technical problem, since D1 discloses neither N-phenyl maleimide nor, indeed, terpolymers (cf. section 5.5 above).

8.2. Whilst it is true that D2 discloses terpolymers in general terms (cf. section 5.1 above, second paragraph), and furthermore, in Example VI, polymer products containing styrene, N-phenyl maleimide and maleic anhydride units, there is no particular reason why the skilled person should have regarded these as suitable candidates for fully compatible blends, i.e. polymer alloys, with polycarbonate. In this connection, it was generally accepted in the art that no method was available for predicting polymer compatibility on the basis of the properties of the individual polymers (e.g. solubility in a mutual solvent).

8.2.1. Although this principle was strongly contested by the Respondents at the oral proceedings, they failed to substantiate their argument by concrete evidence.

On the contrary, the principle of unpredictability is clearly set out in the introductory description of D1 (column 1, lines 15 to 31) and furthermore supported by the evidence of Bi Le Khac filed on 22 August 1990, which showed that two copolymers of the same monomers (styrene with 7.9 % and 14 % by weight respectively of maleic anhydride) were not miscible (compatible) at a 50/50 mixing ratio.

8.2.2. The argument that unsubstituted maleimide is very similar to substituted maleimide was also an assertion unsupported by any evidence. It was in any case contradicted by the evidence of Bi Le Khac, referred to above, which shows that similarity is not an index of compatibility.

8.2.3. Although a number of styrene-maleimide polymers are listed in D1 as having "outstanding properties", neither N-phenyl maleimide nor, indeed, any N-aromatic substituted imide is mentioned (cf. section 4.2, above). For this reason also the reference to "related compounds" cannot be taken as a pointer to the claimed monomers.

8.2.4. Furthermore, the relevant Example VI requires the presence of polyvinyl alcohol, which in the case of Example III was apparently a sufficient reason for not adopting its teaching (cf. section 5.3, above).

8.2.5. The argument that no expectation of advantage was necessary given the statement of the technical problem in terms of "further compatible compositions" is unconvincing, since the expected advantage in this case would be that of compatibility - the latter quality being, however, as pointed out above - unpredictable.

Thus there was no pointer in D1 or D2 which would have led the skilled person to combine their disclosures in any other way than that specifically taught in D1 - namely by using the method of Example I of D2. This would not, however, have resulted in a solution of the technical problem.

8.3. Even if, in spite of the lack of pointers, the skilled person were nevertheless to have combined other parts of the disclosure of D2 with that of D1, the question arises as to what the result would have been.

8.3.1. It is to be noted in this connection that the relevant Examples of D2 (I, III, VI) all disclose an amount of residual maleic anhydride which varies in the range below 2 % by weight. This applies particularly in the case of Example VI where two stages of the reaction are given. In the first, the amount of residual maleic anhydride in the product was 2.2 mole %. This corresponds, according to the decision under appeal, to 1.8. % by weight (see Reasons for the Decision, paragraph 7.1, penultimate section). In the second stage, in which essentially all the remaining anhydride moieties had been converted to the N-phenyl maleimide derivative, the amount was 0.5 mole %.

Thus even if it had been obvious to the skilled person to try to blend polycarbonate with a N-phenyl derivative of styrene-maleimide copolymer according to Example VI, rather than according to Example I of D2, and even if the conditions of reaction had been exactly as disclosed in D2, the amount of residual maleic anhydride would still not have reached the 2 wt% threshold required by Claim 1 of the patent in suit.

8.3.2. Since furthermore there was no teaching in D1 that the presence of the third monomer was desirable, the skilled person would have had no incentive to do anything other than to try to ensure complete conversion to the maleic anhydride derivative. This would mean that he would have tended to choose the second stage product of Example VI, i.e. the one in which "essentially all" the remaining anhydride moieties had been converted to the N-phenyl maleic anhydride derivative, the amount of residual maleic anhydride then being far below the minimum required by the solution of the technical problem.

Consequently, the result of using the product of Example VI of D2 in "Composition B" of D1 would not have been something falling within the scope of Claim 1 of the patent in suit.

8.4. The argument of the Respondents that no evidence had been brought to show that there was a sudden change in compatibility at the point where the claimed compositions departed from the prior art ignores the fact that they are not a selection from the latter. All that is necessary, therefore, is for it to be credible that the technical problem is solved over the whole of the range claimed. This has, however, been established on the basis of the information in the patent itself (cf. section 6.2, above, last sentence).

The onus of proof was in any case on the Respondents at this stage which they have not discharged by evidence.

8.5. Neither can the Board concur with the argument in the decision under appeal, according to which "To specify an arbitrary minimum amount of MAA [maleic anhydride] in the terpolymer, i.e. 2 w%, does not render obvious matter inventive" (see Reasons for the Decision, paragraph 7.1, last sentence).

Not only was the argument based on a premise that had yet to be proved (namely that the limit was arbitrary) but the latter was unsupported by any evidence, or indeed any reasoning at all.

On the contrary, the limit of 2 %, far from being arbitrary, expresses an important aspect of the invention distinguishing it from the prior art, namely the essential presence of significant amounts of a third monomer (cf. sections 5.5, 6.1 and 7.1 above).

Consequently, the solution of the technical problem does not arise in an obvious way from the state of the art.

9. The subject-matter of Claim 1 is therefore not only novel but also involves an inventive step. The remaining claims, which are all directly or indirectly dependent on Claim 1, are by the same token directed to subject- matter which is both novel and based on an inventive step.

Order

ORDER

For these reasons, it is decided that:

1. The Opposition Division's decision is set aside.

2. The case is remitted to the Opposition Division with the order to maintain the patent with the claims as submitted in the course of oral proceedings with consequential amendments to the description.

Footer - Service & support
  • Service & support
    • FAQ
    • Contact us
    • Subscription centre
    • Official holidays
    • Publications
    • Procedural communications
    • Ordering
    • Glossary
Footer - More links
  • Jobs & careers
  • Press centre
  • Single Access Portal
  • Procurement
  • Boards of Appeal
SoMe facebook 0
European Patent Office
EPO Jobs
SoMe instagram
EuropeanPatentOffice
SoMe linkedIn
European Patent Office
EPO Jobs
EPO Procurement
SoMe twitter
EPOorg
EPOjobs
SoMe youtube
TheEPO
Footer
  • Legal notice
  • Terms of use
  • Data protection and privacy
  • Accessibility