INFORMATION FROM THE CONTRACTING / EXTENSION STATES
SK Slovakia
New fee rates and legal provisions
The Slovak Industrial Property Office has informed us that the Slovak Law No. 145/1995 on administrative fees concerning industrial property rights was amended on 4 December 2003, thus finalising the legislative process that was still pending at the time of printing of the 12th edition of our information brochure "National law relating to the EPC".
Applicants and proprietors of European patents with effect in Slovakia are advised that the provisions of the above-mentioned law apply from 1 January 2004. The fee amounts indicated in the 12th edition of our information brochure "National law relating to the EPC" remain unchanged except with regard to the following items:
1. Rights conferred by a European patent application - translations of the claims:
Fee payable for the publication of translations of the claims pursuant to Article 67(3) EPC: SKK 200 up to 10 pages plus SKK 200 for each subsequent page.
2. Conversion of European patent applications:
(a) According to Section 61(1), (3) Patent Act, the basis for conversion of European patent applications or patents into national patent applications or patents is either deemed withdrawal pursuant to Article 77(5) EPC or when the European patent application is withdrawn or deemed withdrawn, refused, or the European patent is revoked.
(b) A fee amounting to SKK 600 is payable for filing the request for conversion of the European patent application under Article 136(2) EPC, for each state.
Updating of the information brochure "National law relating to the EPC"
Users of the EPO information brochure "National law relating to the EPC" (12th edition) are asked to make the appropriate amendments in Table III.B, column 2, as well as Table VII, columns 1 and 2.