European Patent Office

Article 18

Citation: OJ EPO 2016, A18

Online publication date: 31.3.2016

EUROPEAN PATENT OFFICE
Information from the EPO

Decision of the President of the European Patent Office dated 10 February 2016 exempting applicants claiming the priority of a first filing made in Spain from filing a copy of the search results under Rule 141(1) EPC – utilisation scheme1,2

The President of the European Patent Office, having regard to Rules 141(1) and (2) and 70b(1) and (2) of the European Patent Convention (EPC), has decided as follows:

Article 1

Exemption under Rule 141(2) EPC from filing a copy of the search results

The European Patent Office shall include in the file of a European patent application a copy of the search results referred to in Rule 141(1) EPC, thus exempting the applicant from filing said copy, where the priority of a first filing made in Spain is claimed.

Article 2

Entry into force

This decision shall enter into force on 1 June 2016 and shall apply to European patent applications in respect of which an invitation under Rule 70b(1) EPC has not yet been despatched by the date of entry into force of this decision.

Done at Munich, 10 February 2016

Benoît BATTISTELLI

President

 

 

1 See notice from the European Patent Office dated 28 July 2010 concerning amended Rule 141 EPC and new Rule 70b EPC – utilisation scheme, OJ EPO 2010, 410.

2 See notice from the European Patent Office dated 10 February 2016 concerning exemption under Rule 141(2) EPC from filing a copy of the search results – utilisation scheme, OJ EPO 2016, A19.