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 0339/98 (Vitamin K-dependent proteins/ELI LILLY) 18-09-2001
Facebook X Linkedin Email

T 0339/98 (Vitamin K-dependent proteins/ELI LILLY) 18-09-2001

European Case Law Identifier
ECLI:EP:BA:2001:T033998.20010918
Date of decision
18 September 2001
Case number
T 0339/98
Petition for review of
-
Application number
89310061.0
IPC class
C07K 3/20
Language of proceedings
EN
Distribution
DISTRIBUTED TO BOARD CHAIRMEN (C)

Download and more information:

Decision in EN 655.03 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 the purification of vitamin K-dependent proteins

Applicant name
ELI LILLY AND COMPANY
Opponent name
Baxter Aktiengesellschaft
Board
3.3.04
Headnote
-
Relevant legal provisions
European Patent Convention Art 123(2) 1973
European Patent Convention Art 56 1973
Keywords

Main request - added matter (yes)

Auxiliary request - inventive step (no)

Catchword
-
Cited decisions
T 0596/96
T 0863/96
T 0597/92
T 0917/94
G 0009/92
Citing decisions
G 0001/16
T 0451/99

I. The patent proprietors lodged an appeal against the interlocutory decision of the opposition division issued 4 February 1998 whereby the European patent No. 0. 363 126 with title "Method for the purification of vitamin K-dependent proteins", which had been opposed by one party on grounds of Article 100(a) EPC (lack of novelty and lack of inventive step), was maintained in amended form on the basis of the auxiliary request then on file. Claim 1 therein read as follows:

" A method for recovering and purifying vitamin K-dependent proteins from a cell culture medium of cells which produce vitamin K-dependent proteins, said medium containing forms of the desired vitamin K-dependent protein that differ in -carboxyglutamate content and therefore in specific activity, said method comprising:

a. removing divalent cations from the medium;

b. contacting the medium with a protein-binding ion-exchange resin under conditions such that the protein is bound to the resin;

c. treating the resin-bound protein with a divalent cation under conditions appropriate to form a cation-protein complex and to thereby dissociate the high specific activity vitamin K-dependent protein from the resin while leaving lower specific activity vitamin K-dependent protein bound to the resin; and

d. treating the dissociated cation-protein complex under conditions appropriate to remove the cation to obtain free, biologically active protein."

II. The opposition division decided that the subject-matter of the main request then on file lacked an inventive step having regard in particular to the following document:

(1) Grinnell B.W. et al., BIO/TECHNOLOGY, Vol. 5, November 1987, pages 1189 to 1192.

The subject-matter of the auxiliary request was considered to involve an inventive step.

III. With the statement of grounds of appeal on 12 June 1998, the appellants filed a new main request and two auxiliary requests, the second one being to maintain the patent on the basis of the claims as accepted by the opposition division.

Claim 1 of the main request (claims 1 to 33) read as follows (in bold-type letters the difference in comparison with claim 1 as granted):

" A method for recovering and purifying vitamin K-dependent proteins from a cell culture medium of transformed cells which produce recombinant vitamin K- dependent proteins, comprising:

a. removing divalent cations from the medium;

b. contacting the medium with a protein-binding ion-exchange resin under conditions such that the protein is bound to the resin;

c. treating the resin-bound protein with a divalent cation under conditions appropriate to form a cation-protein complex and to thereby dissociate the protein from the resin; and

d. without further purification of the cation-protein complex with an immobilized antibody to said cation-protein complex, treating the cation-protein complex under conditions appropriate to remove the cation to obtain free, biologically active protein."

As for the remaining claims: dependent claims 2 to 6 concerned embodiments of the method of claim 1; independent claim 7 (together with dependent claims 8 to 16), independent claim 17 (together with dependent claims 18 to 21), independent claim 24 (together with dependent claims 25 and 26), independent claim 27 (together with dependent claim 28) were directed to particular variations of the method in which steps (a) to (i) were specified; independent claim 22 (together with dependent claim 23), independent claim 29 (together with dependent claims 30 and 31), independent claim 32 (together with claim 33) were directed to methods comprising the same steps (a) to (d) as in claim 1.

IV. In their reply to the statement of grounds of appeal, the respondents made submissions raising inter alia objections under Article 123(2) EPC, and disputing the inventive step of the main and first auxiliary requests.

V. On 28 February 2001, the board issued a communication with an outline of the points to be discussed and a provisional, non-binding opinion on some of the issues.

VI. In reply thereto, submissions were made by the appellants with letter dated 4 May 2001. Therewith a new first auxiliary request (claims 1 to 32) was filed in substitution of the previous one.

Claim 1 thereof read as follows (in bold-type letters the differences in comparison with claim 1 as granted):

" A method for recovering and purifying vitamin K-dependent proteins from a cell culture medium of transformed cells which produce recombinant vitamin K- dependent proteins, comprising:

a. removing divalent cations from the medium;

b. contacting the medium with a protein-binding ion-exchange resin under conditions such that the protein is bound to the resin;

c. treating the resin-bound protein with a divalent cation under conditions appropriate to form a cation-protein complex, [and] to thereby dissociate the cation-protein complex from the resin and form resin dissociated cation-protein complex; and

d. treating the resin-dissociated cation-protein complex with a chelating agent under conditions appropriate to remove the cation to obtain free, biologically active protein."

The remaining claims corresponded to the claims of the main request, due account being taken of the renumbering in consequence of the introduction of the features of claim 6 into claim 1.

VII. Oral proceedings took place on 4 July 2001.

VIII. The appellants submitted essentially that:

(a) As regards the feature "without further purification... " in item d) of claim 1 of the main request:

- The feature had to be seen as a disclaiming feature which had a basis in the application as filed because the complete description of the latter made abundantly clear that conventional chromatography, not immunoaffinity chromatography was used for the separation of the subject proteins (cf the published "A2" application, page 2, lines 43 to 50; page 3 lines 43 to 44 and page 4 lines 49 to 50; Example 12). Immunoaffinity chromatography was not a conventional chromatography;

- The removal of the divalent cations from the cation-protein complex in step d) was achieved only by use of chelating agents, in particular immobilised chelating agents, not by way of immunochromatography.

- From the disclosure of the original documents as a whole the skilled person would not have inferred any form of use of monoclonal antibodies. It was thus legitimate to specify that in the claim.

(b) As for the feature "resin-dissociated" in claim 1 of the auxiliary request, the term was clear and unambiguous as a cation-protein complex which was dissociated from a resin as originally disclosed had necessarily to be a "resin-dissociated" cation-protein complex.

(c) As regards inventive step of the subject-matter of the auxiliary request:

The key element of the disclosure of document (1) was the use of a specific monoclonal antibody for purifying recombinant human protein C (HPC) (see the abstract). It was found that the anti-HPC immunoaffinity column bound HPC only in the presence of calcium ions (cf page 1192, left-hand column, lines 31 to 32). To this extent, in the preliminary purification steps described in the small print of the article calcium chloride was added to the eluent in order to elute the protein from the ion-exchange resin in the form of a calcium-HPC complex to be applied to the anti-HPC column in the next step. This was the only explanation for the addition of calcium chloride which the skilled reader could derive from document (1). In view of the importance attributed in document (1) to the immunoaffinity step, and also in consideration of the fact that no data were reported of any degree of purification in the steps preceding it, there was no reason for the skilled reader to stop the purification process of HPC just before the immunoaffinity step and to proceed to the removal of the calcium ions, and there would have been no apparent reason for adding calcium ions in the eluent of the ion-exchange column if these were to be removed after elution.

The method of the claims at issue consisted in a series of steps using conventional chromatography in which the removal, the addition and the subsequent chelation of the divalent cation was knowingly devised in order to achieve a high degree of purification, avoiding thereby the use of immunoaffinity. This was something that the authors of document (1) had not recognised, and which the skilled person could not readily derive from the disclosure of document (1).

IX. The respondents argued as follows:

(a) As regards the feature "without further purification..." in item d) of claim 1 of the main request:

- The feature in question had been introduced as a disclaimer to restore novelty vis-à-vis document (1);

- The case law specified the circumstances in which a disclaimer could be allowed, namely that no disclaimer should be used when a definition by positive features was possible, that a disclaimer had to be used only for restoring novelty vis-à-vis an accidental disclosure and that the document on the basis of which a disclaimer was construed had to disappear from the state of the art for the purpose of the discussion of inventive step (cf eg T 596/96 of 14. December 1999; T 863/96 of 4 February 1999). In the case at issue, a definition of the claimed subject-matter in positive terms was possible. Moreover, document (1) was not an accidental disclosure. As a matter of fact it was relevant for the discussion of inventive step. Thus, the amendment could not be allowed.

(b) As for the feature "resin-dissociated" in claim 1 of the auxiliary request, it had no explicit basis in the application as filed and was not derivable therefrom.

(c) As regards inventive step of the subject-matter of the auxiliary request:

The skilled person would have derived from document (1) that after steps (a) to (c) there was already a sufficient degree of purity of HPC (cf page 1192). The document stated explicitly that the immunopurification step was a further purification step (cf page 1192, left-hand column, lines 45 to 47). Therefore, the skilled person would readily have had the idea of stopping after the first three steps which corresponded to steps (a) to (c) of claim 1, and would have obviously removed the calcium from the eluted protein by using a chelating agent, this being then the equivalent of step d) in claim 1. For these reasons, there was no inventive step involved in the claim.

X. The appellants requested that the decision under appeal be set aside and the patent be maintained on the basis of claims 1 to 33 filed on 12 June 1998 (main request) or claims 1 to 32 dated 4 May 2001 (auxiliary request).

The respondents requested that appeal be dismissed.

XI. At the end of the oral proceedings, the following decision was announced:

1. The debate is closed.

2. The decision will be given in writing.

The main request: Formal admissibility

1. Claim 1 of this request differs from claim 1 as granted in that it contains the feature "without further purification...". Because of the restrictive nature of the feature, no problems under Article 123(3) EPC are seen by the board.

2. As also admitted by the appellants, the feature as such is not found in the application as filed. However, in the appellant's view, the feature can be inferred from the application as filed essentially because therein no use of monoclonal antibodies in any form is disclosed, all separations being based on conventional chromatography.

3. Although it is true that the application as filed does not make any specific explicit reference to the use of monoclonal antibodies at any stage of the purification process, it is also a fact that it does not explicitly exclude this possibility. As a matter of fact, claim 1 at issue is in the "comprising" form, which implies that, while steps (a) to (d) are the essential features of the claimed invention, the presence of other steps, including an immuno-chromatography step (eg between steps (c) and (d) is not excluded. Any variant process "comprising" steps (a) to (d) would in fact be encompassed by the claim. In the board's judgment, the statement in the specification (cf eg page 3, lines 43 to 44) that "the invention is based upon the use of conventional chromatography resins" does not amount to an absolute ban of immuno-chromatography because, firstly, the statement is in relation to the characterising essential steps which are "comprised" in the claimed invention (cf claim 1), and, secondly, it is open to interpretation whether or not in 1988/89 immunoaffinity chromatography could be defined as a conventional chromatography. On this the two parties had, of course, divergent views.

4. Thus, in the board's view, the addition of the feature in question amounts to the presentation of new information, this being "not to do" was the skilled person would not have excluded. Such information is not directly and unambiguously derivable from the application as filed.

5. If the addition of the feature in question is considered as a disclaimer, it cannot be accepted as it is in contrast with the principles set by the established case law on "disclaimers", namely that a disclaimer is admissible only for excluding from the ambit of a claim, for the purpose of restoring novelty, an "accidental disclosure" by a prior art document, the said document not being relevant for the evaluation of inventive step (cf T 863/96 and T 596/96 supra, and T 917/94 of 28 October 1999; T 597/92 OJ EPO 1996, 135).

6. For the above reasons, claim 1 as well as all claims containing the same feature in question offend against Article 123(2) EPC. Thus, the main request fails to comply with the formal requirements and is thus not allowable.

The first auxiliary request

Formal admissibility

7. Claim 1 has a narrower scope of protection than claim 1 as granted as it specifies in step d) that the dissociation is carried out with a chelating agent (this being the feature of claim 6 as granted). Thus, no problems under Article 123(3) EPC are seen by the board.

8. As for the feature "resin-dissociated" which qualifies the cation-protein complex, in the board's judgement, although it is not found as such in the application as filed, it is nevertheless unambiguously implied therein by the fact that - as originally disclosed - the eluent in step c) "dissociates" the protein as a cation-protein complex (cf claim 1 as filed) and thus results in the formation of a "resin-dissociated" cation-protein complex. There is thus no objection under Article 123(2) EPC.

Novelty (Article 54 EPC)

9. Novelty of any of the claims of this request was not disputed by the respondents. Nor does the board have any novelty objection.

Inventive step (Article 56 EPC)

10. The closest prior art document is document (1). This document describes the expression of recombinant HPC (rHPC) in human kidney cell lines and its purification and biochemical analysis. The latter are described on page 1192, left-hand column under the heading "Purification and biochemical analysis of HPC" which also includes the description of a parallel procedure carried out on HPC from plasma. Both purification procedures included, as a key step for achieving homogeneity of the product, the passage through an immunoaffinity column having immobilised anti-HPC monoclonal antibody which was "conformation-specific" as it bound to HPC only in the presence of calcium ions. Prior to this step, the procedure provided for addition of EDTA and passage through an ion-exchange resin. The resin used in the case of rHPC was different from that used for plasma HPC. Since in the case of the latter, the eluent did not contain calcium ions, the fraction containing the HPC had to be adjusted to 10mM CaCl2. This addition was not necessary in the case of rHPC as the eluent already contained 10mM CaCl2. Binding to and elution from the immunoaffinity column was carried out under the same conditions in both cases with a buffer containing EDTA. After this step, in both cases a further ion-exchange purification followed, the resins used being different. The document does not report any data concerning the level of purification at the different stages. However, in respect of rHPC, it is stated on page 1190, under the heading "Purification and characterization of rHPC": "The recombinant HPC secreted from this cell line was purified to homogeneity, with 85 to 90% recovery at each step", and on the same page under the heading "Functional analyses of rHPC": "The rHPC in the crude culture medium and through each step in purification was fully functional as measured by both its anticoagulant and amidolytic activities".

11. In the light of document (1), the technical problem underlying the present patent was finding an alternative method for recovering and purifying vitamin K-dependent proteins, eg HPC, from a cell culture medium.

12. The proposed solution is a method which comprises the four steps (a) to (d) recited in claim 1. Example 4 shows that the purity of the rHPC selectively eluted from an anion exchange column with 10mM CaCl2 is increased of 232 fold, while that of the same product eluted in a "conventional" manner with 0.4M NaCl is increased of 28 fold. It is noted that the operating conditions (type of column, eluent, specific activity determination) used in the experiment of Example 4 are similar to those described in document (1) to which explicit reference is made.

13. The relevant question is what measures would have been adopted by the skilled person faced with the stated technical problem and whether these would have included a method knowingly comprising the four steps (a) to (d) referred to in claim 1. The word "comprising" is emphasised because - as already noted above in connection with the main request - the method of claim 1 is broadly formulated and does not necessarily "consist" only of the said four steps. This is to be taken into account when answering the above question.

14. In the board's judgement, a method in which steps (a) to (d) would have been knowingly applied (cf claim 1), would have been an obvious option for the skilled person for the following reasons:

(i) Document (1), by referring to the conformation (Ca2+) specificity of the anti-HPC monoclonal antibody, indicated to the skilled person that calcium ions influenced the conformation of HPC, and thus its binding to and elution from ligands.

(ii) The document described how, prior to the key step of passage through an immunoaffinity column, HPC was pre-purified by a procedure including: (1) treatment with an EDTA-containing buffer, (2) contact with an anion-exchange column so as to promote binding and (3) elution with a buffer containing 10mM CaCl2. In this procedure, the skilled person would have readily recognised, based on his general knowledge and on the information provided by document (1) itself, the chelating function of EDTA and the conformational effect of the calcium ions.

(iii) Although no data about the degree of purification achieved in the said preliminary steps were reported in the document, the skilled person was informed that the recovery was quite high at each step and that the recovered product was fully functional through each step (cf the relevant passages of the document quoted in point 10 above).

(iv) The skilled person, although recognising that the key step of the procedure described in document (1) was the passage through the immunoaffinity column, would have seen that the said step was carried out in order to achieve homogeneity, but would not have doubted that some degree of purification was already achieved by the preliminary procedure.

(v) Thus, when devising an alternative method for purifying HPC, the skilled person would have readily taken into consideration the option of a method comprising the pre-purification procedure described in document (1), which corresponds in fact to steps (a) to (c) of the method of claim 1, because it was a known, simple and safe way of operating. The subsequent removal of the calcium ions with a chelating agent, eg EDTA (cf step (d) of claim 1) was also quite straightforward for the skilled person in view of the knowledge that, as the said ions had a conformational effect on the molecule, they had to be removed or added depending on the technical circumstances: for example, a further passage on an anion-exchange resin, would have required their removal with a chelating agent as done already in the first step of the pre-purification procedure (cf item ii)1) above).

15. In the board's judgement, no inventive contribution to art can be seen in proposing in general terms a purification method which is characterised by the fact that it comprises a known sequence of purification steps in combination with a trivial measure. In this respect, the appellant's argument that the authors of document (1) had not recognised that a sufficient purification was achieved already before immunoaffinity chromatography and thus one could dispense with using the latter step is not convincing because, firstly, the method of claim 1 does not set any specific level of purity which should be achieved, nor - as already noted - it excludes carrying out in addition to steps (a) to (d) additional purification steps (the use of a second ion-exchange resin is in fact specifically referred to in the description; cf page 4, line 46).

16. For these reasons, claim 1 is found to lack an inventive step, and consequently the request of which it is part, is not allowable under Article 56 EPC.

Other matters

17. As the opponents-respondents have not lodged an appeal against the decision of the opposition division, the maintenance of the patent as amended cannot be challenged (cf G 9/92 OJ EPO 1994, 875).

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