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 1137/98 09-11-2000
Facebook X Linkedin Email

T 1137/98 09-11-2000

European Case Law Identifier
ECLI:EP:BA:2000:T113798.20001109
Date of decision
09 November 2000
Case number
T 1137/98
Petition for review of
-
Application number
94906314.3
IPC class
H01R 9/26
Language of proceedings
EN
Distribution
DISTRIBUTED TO BOARD CHAIRMEN (C)

Download and more information:

Decision in EN 30.95 KB
Documentation of the appeal procedure can be found in the European Patent Register
Bibliographic information is available in:
EN
Versions
Unpublished
Application title

Transmission line connectors and assemblies thereof

Applicant name
A.C. Egerton Limited
Opponent name
British Telecommunications plc
Board
3.5.02
Headnote
-
Relevant legal provisions
European Patent Convention Art 56 1973
European Patent Convention Art 114(2) 1973
European Patent Convention Art 115(1) 1973
European Patent Convention Art 123(2) 1973
Keywords

Added subject-matter - no (after amendment)

Inventive step - yes (after amendment)

Prior art documents filed on appeal (one admitted as relevant and responsive; the others not admitted

Third party observations - not relevant

Catchword
-
Cited decisions
-
Citing decisions
T 0923/10

I. This is an appeal by the proprietor against the interlocutory decision of the opposition division proposing to maintain European patent No. 683 925 in amended form.

The reason given in the decision under appeal for refusing the proprietor's request (third auxiliary request) ranking immediately above that granted (auxiliary request 3A) was that claim 1 of the former request included a negative feature not originally disclosed which would result in the patent containing subject-matter which extended beyond the content of the application as filed thus contravening Article 123(2) EPC.

The opponent also filed an appeal but withdrew it by letter dated 4 August 2000.

II. The following prior art documents considered in the first instance proceedings were referred to on appeal:

D1: WO-A-92/15129

D2: EP-A-0 315 345

D3: EP-A-0 637 853

D4: US-A-4 767 354

D5: US-A-5 149 278

D6: GB-A-2 129 630

D7: GB-A-2 135 530

D8: GB-A-2 176 062

D9: Internal BT document 471-2A-T-0001 dated 10. February 1992.

In addition the opponent filed the following documents for the first time during the appeal proceedings:

D16: WO-A-91/07834

D17: US-A-4 676 568

D18: GB-A-2 013 423

D19: Krone LSA-Plus Installation and User Guide (1991)

D20: "Protection against overvoltage and overcurrent" Article by Dr. Robert Hoenl (1991)

D21: GB-A-1 597 820.

III. During the course of the appeal proceedings a third party filed observations pursuant to Article 115(1) EPC.

IV. In a communication accompanying a summons to oral proceedings, the board indicated that the documents D17 to D21 appeared not to meet the criteria of relevance and responsiveness necessary to prevent their being disregarded as not being submitted in due time (Article 114(2) EPC). In particular it appeared that the opponent's argument based on these documents mosaiced features found in various ones of these five documents with the teaching of documents D3 to D9 already on file.

The board also indicated that it had doubts about the permissibility of the claim amendment involving the previously undisclosed negative feature, which was not a classic prior art disclaimer.

V. Oral proceedings were held on 9 November 2000 at which the opponent, as foreshadowed in his letter dated 4. August 2000, was not represented.

The board decided pursuant to Article 114(2) EPC not to admit documents D17 to D21 to the proceedings, but to admit document D16 because of the relevance of the latter to the remote line-test function which was potentially crucial on the issue of inventive step. The proprietor assented to the admission of D16.

The appellant proprietor filed a single request including an amended claim 1 not involving the questionable negative feature.

VI. Claim 1 is now worded as follows:

"1. A kit of parts comprising;

(i) a transmission wire connector (20) including a first wire contact member (4) and a second wire contact member (7) mounted in a base unit (1) for making contact with an exchange linked wire (32), and a consumer linked wire (36), respectively, the first and second wire contact members (4, 7) within the base unit (1) being isolated one from the other, wherein the first and second wire contact members (4, 7) are mounted in bores (5, 8) in the base unit (1) wherein the first and second contact members (4, 7) may slide to make said contact with the exchange linked wire (32) and the consumer linked wire (36), respectively;

(ii) a plurality of separable module units (14), each capable of coupling with the base unit (1) and providing direct or indirect electrical connection between the first and second contacts (4, 7) when that module unit (14) is coupled to the base unit (1),

the plurality of module units being arranged to provide different functions to the connector or a wire it connects, the different functions including at least:

(a) a direct connection and/or protection against excessive current and/or voltage

(b) an ability to respond to signals from the exchange of a test and/or control nature.

Claims 2 to 19 are dependent on claim 1.

VII. The appellant proprietor argued essentially as follows:

The plug 19 of the prior art document D1 provided different ranges of protection against overvoltage and/or overcurrent but not different functions in the strong sense of claim 1 of the opposed patent. It was necessary to guard against hindsight in reading pages 11. to 13 of D1; in particular it was important to appreciate that the plug 19 of D1 was a plug-in module in a very limited sense. The present invention had extended this concept of a plug-in module in the context of transmission wire connectors by providing a level of functional modularity in such connectors which was radically different from that known from D1 or the common general knowledge in the art.

The prior art document D16 filed by the opponent with his statement of grounds of appeal showed only that it had been proposed to install devices to provide test functions such as "soft dial tone" at a distribution point before the priority date of the opposed patent. This was no more than was acknowledged in the application as filed; cf column 1, lines 43 to 52 of the patent specification. There was however no suggestion in D1, D16 or elsewhere that functions comprising an ability to respond to signals from the exchange of a test and/or control nature should be provided in the plug-in modules of a transmission wire connector in the same way as the known line protection functions.

As regards the feature in claim 1 of the opposed patent that the first and second wire contact members (4,7) are mounted in bores (5,8) in the base unit (1) wherein the first and second contact members (4,7) may slide to make said contact with the exchange linked wire (32) and the consumer linked wire (36), respectively, the argument at points 3.1 to 3.5 of the decision under appeal that the person skilled in the art, starting from D1, would find a solution to the problem of enhancing resistance to environmental degradation in prior art document D7, especially Fig 14, was a selection from the prior art based on hindsight. The latter disclosure related to an insulation displacement connector making a contact to a conductive track on a printed circuit board - an application which was remote from the problem addressed by the invention of the opposed patent. By the same token, the opponent's contention on this point that the provision of a bore for slidable movement of the contact members was part of the common general knowledge in the transmission wire connector art as exemplified by prior art documents D2 to D7 failed to take account of the technical context. The fact that a feature was per se common general knowledge in the insulation displacement connector art did not necessarily imply that it was common general knowledge in the special technical context of a pole top distribution point with its particular environmental and service requirements.

VIII. The arguments of the opponent relevant to the current claims may be summarised as follows:

Added subject matter (Article 123(2) EPC)

Claim 1 required a "kit of parts", comprising a connector and a plurality of module units. Such a kit was neither disclosed nor claimed in the original specification; neither the word "kit" nor any synonym thereof occurred in the application as originally filed.

The passage at page 5 of the original specification cited by the opposition division at point 8.1 of the decision under appeal simply suggested that modules might be produced in a variety of colours denoting their function. There was no suggestion that these various modules be supplied with the connector as a "kit" - which in any case would be extremely wasteful. The amended claim also raised a problem of interpretation of scope of protection in the event that only a module with known structure and function is used, the other module(s) being discarded.

Inventive step

Prior art document D16 disclosed a module having the capability referred to by the patent proprietor as "soft dial tone", ie a remote line-test facility to test a line which is not currently connected to a telephone. The unit described in D16 was described as being "left in place until such time as the pair is required for use"; cf D16, page 7, lines 7 to 10 and page 9, lines 15 to 19. Of the limited number of locations where it would be convenient to install such a device, one obvious place would be at the termination of the exchange wire pair, for example in a module of the type shown in D1. Hence a reading of D1 and D16 in conjunction would readily suggest that the line test function of D16 could be provided in a module of the type disclosed in D1.

As regards the feature that the conductors slide in bores the person skilled in the art would recognise that should the insulation displacement connectors be required to engage wire thick enough to cause such an unsupported insulation displacement connector to buckle a ready solution to this problem was to be found, eg in reference D7. In fact this arrangement was commonplace in the art as evidenced by prior art documents D2 to D6.

IX. The appellant proprietor requested that the decision under appeal be set aside and that the patent be maintained in amended form in the following version:

Claims: 1 as filed in the oral proceedings,

2. to 8(part) as in column 8 of the version maintained by the opposition division,

8(rest) to claim 19 as filed in the oral proceedings;

Description: columns 1, 2 and 5 to 7 as maintained by the opposition division,

columns 3 and 4 as filed in the oral proceedings;

Drawings: Figures 1 to 6(c) of the patent specification.

X. The opponent, who, as noted above, had withdrawn his own appeal, made no request in his capacity as respondent.

1. The proprietor's appeal is admissible.

2. Permissibility of the amendments under Article 84, 123(2) and (3) EPC

2.1. Kit of parts

The board confirms the finding of the opposition division that the present explicit claim to a kit of parts in claim 1 does not add subject-matter which extends beyond the content of the application as filed. Although the term "kit of parts" was not used in the application as filed, the statement in the application as originally filed that the modules may be colour-coded to indicate their function, would, in the judgement of the board, be understood by the person skilled in the art, as envisaging, at least as an option, that a plurality of modules would be supplied with a connector. The board does not see the formulation of the claim in explicit "kit of parts" form as representing an increment of technical information relative to the original disclosure of the production of the connector and an associated plurality of optionally colour-coded plug-in function modules. By the same token the board takes the view that the natural interpretation of the phrase "there being provided a plurality of modules" in claim 1 of the published patent is that it claims, in substance if not in form, a kit of parts. The question of possible infringement by subcombinations of the kit is a matter for the national courts which does not impinge on the instant issue in relation to Articles 123(2), (3) and 84. EPC.

2.2. Undisclosed negative feature

In the current claim 1 the different functions provided by the plurality of separable module units are defined positively as:

(a) a direct connection and/or protection against excessive current and/or voltage

(b) an ability to respond to signals from the exchange of a test and/or control nature.

The first of these groups of functions is exemplified by the embodiments shown in Figures 5(a), (b) and (d) and the second group by the embodiments shown in Figures 5(c) and (e), the functions being described at column 5, line 55 to column 6, line 37 of the patent specification, the disclosure being identical in the originating PCT application as filed.

2.3. In the judgement of the board, the amended patent specification meets the requirements of Article 84, 123(2) and (3) EPC.

3. Novelty

The novelty of the subject-matter of the present claim 1 follows from the discussion below of inventive step.

4. Closest prior art, problem and solution

4.1. D1 is the undisputed closest prior art: it discloses a transmission wire connector which has the features specified in paragraph (i) of claim 1 prior to the "wherein" (first occurrence). The transmission wire connector specified within claim 1 differs from that known from D1 in that the first and second wire contact members (4,7) are mounted in bores (5,8) in the base unit (1) wherein the first and second contact members (4,7) may slide to make said contact with the exchange linked wire (32) and the consumer linked wire (36), respectively.

4.2. D1 also discloses a plurality of module units having the features specified in paragraph (ii) of claim 1 prior to subparagraph (b). The module units specified within claim 1 differ from those known from D1 in that the functions they provide include at least an ability to respond to signals from the exchange of a test and/or control nature.

4.3. Relative to D1 the problem solved by the kit of parts claimed in the opposed patent is twofold: (i) to make the transmission wire connector more robust; (ii) to extend the functionality of the exchangeable module of D1. These two aspects of the problem are solved by the modifications identified immediately above.

5. Inventive step

5.1. The board agrees with the opponent's contention that the mounting of the first and second wire contact members (4,7) in bores (5,8) in the base unit (1) wherein the first and second contact members (4,7) may slide to make said contact with the exchange linked wire (32) and the consumer linked wire (36) would be obvious for the person skilled in the art in view of common general knowledge in the art as represented by D2 to D7. The proprietor's counterargument that those documents which disclose wire connectors, in particular insulation displacement connectors, with contact members sliding in bores would not be regarded by the skilled person as being relevant in the context of transmission wire connectors for use in the special environment of the top of a telephone pole - the so-called pole top distribution point (PTDP) - does not persuade the board since the claim is not limited to this location for the transmission wire connector; it could also be used in the protected environment of a street or building cabinet where insulation displacement wire connectors having contact members sliding in bores have undisputedly been widely used long before the priority date of the opposed patent. In this respect the board confirms the finding of the opposition division, albeit on a different reasoning - common general knowledge in the art rather than combination of D1 with a specific document.

5.2. However, as regards the enhanced functionality of the plug-in module units, the board agrees with the proprietor's contention that the formulation of this problem was not obvious for the person skilled in the art. The evidence is that at the priority date of the opposed patent the prevailing view in the art was that the functions of overcurrent and overvoltage protection were regarded as being in a different category to the functions of testing and control and that although such devices might be co-located on a pole top, breaking through the category barrier and providing these qualitatively different functions in exchangeable modules of the transmission wire connector was not an obvious step.

5.3. Since the opponent, who had withdrawn his own appeal, was not represented at the oral proceedings at which the current claim 1 was filed he has effectively waived his right to an opportunity to comment on this claim. Those arguments he submitted in his statement of grounds of appeal have been taken into account in the board's consideration of inventive step above to the extent that they are applicable to the amended claim.

5.4. Therefore, the subject-matter of claim 1 is considered as involving an inventive step within the meaning of Article 56 EPC.

6. Observations filed pursuant to Article 115(1) EPC

The prior art documents and the arguments based thereon filed as third party observations pursuant to Article 115(1) EPC are less relevant than the documents and arguments already on file and will therefore not be commented on by the board.

7. The description and dependent claims have been adapted to the present claim 1. The prior art according to D1 was already acknowledged in the description of the patent as granted.

8. The board judges that, taking into consideration the amendments made by the proprietor, the patent and the invention to which it relates meet the requirements of the EPC.

Order

ORDER

For these reasons it is decided that:

1. The decision under appeal is set aside.

2. The case is remitted to the department of first instance with the order to maintain the patent in amended form in the following version:

Claims: 1 as filed in the oral proceedings,

2. to 8(part) as in column 8 of the version maintained by the opposition division,

8(rest) to claim 19 as filed in the oral proceedings;

Description: columns 1, 2 and 5 to 7 as maintained by the opposition division,

columns 3 and 4 as filed in the oral proceedings;

Drawings: Figures 1 to 6(c) of the patent specification.

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