INFORMATION FROM THE CONTRACTING / EXTENSION STATES
DE Germany
Translation of the European patent specification
The Second Law on the Community Patent of 20 December 1991* amended Article II § 3 of the Law on International Patent Treaties of 1976**. Germany has thus availed itself of Article 65 EPC and now prescribes that a German translation be supplied for European patents valid in Germany but not drawn up in German.
These arrangements come into force on 1 June 1992 and apply to European patents for which mention of grant is published in the European Patent Bulletin after 31 May 1992.
The translation must be filed with the German Patent Office along with payment of the prescribed fee (DEM 250) within three months of publication of the mention of grant of the European patent in the European Patent Bulletin.
If the translation is not filed in due time and form or the fee is not paid on time, the European patent shall be deemed to be void ab initio in Germany.
Further details will be published in later issues of the Official Journal.
* Article 6 No. 4 of the Law on the Agreement of 21 December 1989 relating to Community patents, on the Protocol of 21 December 1989 on a possible modification of the conditions of entry into force of the Agreement relating to Community patents and on the amendment of patent law provisions (Second Law on the Community Patent), BGBl. 1991 II p. 1354.
** BGBl. 1976 II p. 649, last amended by the Law of 15 August 1986, BGBl 1986 I p. 1446