Pages 111-113

INTERNATIONAL TREATIES

PCT

Notice from the President of the European Patent Office dated 1 January 2006 concerning revised amounts of the refund of search fees in the light of the new working agreement with France as from 1 January 2006

By Notice from the President of the EPO dated 30 November 20031 concerning refund of search fees, the provisions of Annex C, Part II(3) of the Agreement between the European Patent Organisation and WIPO under the PCT2 were amended. The notice was modified on 1 July 20053

In view of the adaptation of the working agreement on prior-art searches for national applications between the Organisation and France as from 1 January 2006, paragraph 3 case 2 of the Notice of the President is now further amended.

For ease of reference paragraph 3 of that Notice as now revised as well as Annex C Part II(3) of the Agreement are published in full below:

Annex C Part II

(3) Where the Authority benefits from an earlier search (including a privately commissioned "standard" search) already made by the Authority on an application whose priority is claimed for the international application and depending upon the extent to which the Authority benefits from the earlier search in carrying out the international search and any other task entrusted to it, the search fee paid shall be refunded to the extent provided for in a communication from the Authority to the International Bureau and published in the Gazette.

Paragraph 3 of the Notice from the President of the European Patent Office dated 30 November 2003 as now revised reads:

The amounts refundable in such circumstances will be as follows:

With regard to searches drawn up on European and international patent applications filed on or after 1 July 2005, the Notice from the President of the European Patent Office dated 13 November 2001 concerning refund of search fees4 is replaced by the Notice from the President of the European Patent Office dated 1 July 2005 concerning the criteria for refund of search fees, OJ EPO 2005,433. In all other respects the Notice from the President of the European Patent Office of 30 November 2003 remains in full force and effect.