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  2. Legal texts
  3. Guidelines for Examination
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  5. Part B
  6. General
  7. 1. Search and substantive examination
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1. Search and substantive examination

Overview

1. Search and substantive examination 

The procedure a European patent application goes through from its filing to the grant of a patent (or the refusal of the application) has two separate main stages, i.e. the search and substantive examination.

Art. 17
Art. 18

1.1 Contact between the applicant and the search division
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