Legal Basis
Articles
The transitional provisions determining which legal basis applies to European patent applications can be found in:
- The Act revising the Convention on the Grant of European Patents (European Patent Convention) of 5 October 1973 (hereinafter referred to as the « Revision Act »).
- The « Decision of the Administrative Council of 28 June 2001 on the transitional provisions under Article 7 of the Act revising the European Patent Convention of 29 November 2000« , OJ 2007, Special Edition No. 1, p197.
Rules
Furthermore, if an article to be applied falls under the EPC 2000 regime (see below), then the corresponding rules must be those of the EPC 2000 (J10/07, reason 1.3, « Decision of the Administrative Council of 7 December 2006 amending the Implementing Regulations to the European Patent Convention 2000« , OJ 2007, Special Edition No. 1, p89, A2).
A single exception exists regarding R62 EPC (establishment of the supplementary European search report), which applies only to European patent applications and international applications entering the European phase filed from 1 July 2005 (« Decision of the Administrative Council of 7 December 2006 amending the Implementing Regulations to the European Patent Convention 2000« , OJ 2007, Special Edition No. 1, p89, A2).
Summary of Transitional Provisions
Principle
The EPC 2000 applies to all patent applications filed from 13 December 2007 (A7(1) Revision Act) and to patents granted on this basis.
For applications pending on 13 December 2007 and for patents granted before 13 December 2007, the rule is that the EPC 1973 provisions apply, even if certain EPC 2000 provisions may be applicable (A7(1) Revision Act).
Applications Pending on 13 December 2007
The following provisions of the EPC 2000 apply to applications pending on 13 December 2007 (« Decision of the Administrative Council of 28 June 2001 on the transitional provisions under Article 7 of the Act revising the European Patent Convention of 29 November 2000« , OJ 2007, Special Edition No. 1, p197, A3):
- A54(5) EPC:
- Second therapeutic application;
Pending applications as of December 13, 2007 and patents granted before December 13, 2007
The following provisions of the EPC 2000 apply to pending applications as of December 13, 2007 and to patents granted before December 13, 2007 (Decision of the Administrative Council of June 28, 2001 on the transitional provisions under Article 7 of the Act revising the European Patent Convention of November 29, 2000, JO 2007, special edition No. 1, p197, A1) :
- A14(3) EPC to A14(6) EPC :
- Accepted languages and translation;
- A51 EPC :
- Official fee;
- A52 EPC :
- Annual fees;
- A53 EPC :
- Exceptions to patentability;
- A54(3) EPC and A54(4) EPC (even though A54(4) EPC73 remains applicable to these applications and patents) :
- Novelty;
- A61 EPC :
- Unauthorised person seeking a patent;
- A67 EPC :
- Provisional protection;
- A68 EPC :
- Effect of limitation or revocation;
- A69 EPC and the interpretative protocol to A69 EPC :
- Extent of protection;
- A70 EPC :
- Authentic text of the application;
- A86 EPC :
- Annual fees for the patent application;
- A88 EPC :
- Priority claim;
- A90 EPC :
- Formal examination on filing;
- A92 EPC :
- Establishment of the EESR;
- A93 EPC :
- Publication of the application;
- A94 EPC :
- Examination of the application;
- A97 EPC :
- Grant or refusal;
- A98 EPC :
- Publication of the specification;
- A106 EPC :
- Appeal;
- A108 EPC :
- Time limit and form of appeal;
- A110 EPC :
- Examination of the appeal;
- A115 EPC :
- Third-party observations;
- A117 EPC :
- Instructions;
- A119 EPC :
- Notifications;
- A120 EPC :
- Calculation of time limits;
- A123 EPC :
- Amendment;
- A124 EPC :
- Information on the state of the art;
- A127 EPC :
- European Register;
- A128 EPC :
- Public inspection;
- A129 EPC :
- Periodical publication;
- A133 EPC :
- Representation;
-
- A135 EPC :
- Transformation;
- A137 EPC :
- Formal condition for transformation;
- A141 EPC :
- Annual official fee for the patent.
In addition, the following provisions of the EPC 2000 shall apply to these applications and patents insofar as the time limits for requesting further processing or restitutio in integrum have not expired (Decision of the Administrative Council of 28 June 2001 on the transitional provisions under Article 7 of the Act revising the European Patent Convention of 29 November 2000, OJ 2007, Special Edition No. 1, p197, A5):
Pending PCT applications as of 13 December 2007
The following provisions of the EPC 2000 shall apply (Decision of the Administrative Council of 28 June 2001 on the transitional provisions under Article 7 of the Act revising the European Patent Convention of 29 November 2000, OJ 2007, Special Edition No. 1, p197, A6):
- A151 EPC :
- EPO as RO;
- A152 EPC :
- EPO as ISA or IPEA;
- A153 EPC :
- EPO as designated or elected Office.
Furthermore, the provisions of the EPC 1973 shall continue to apply to these applications:
- A154(3) EPC 1973 and A155(3) EPC 1973 :
- Jurisdiction of the EPO Boards of Appeal to challenge unity of invention at the international stage (EPO as ISA or IPEA).
Patents granted or subsequently granted
The following provisions of the EPC 2000 shall apply to patents granted as of 13 December 2007 and to patents granted for applications pending as of 13 December 2007 (Decision of the Administrative Council of 28 June 2001 on the transitional provisions under Article 7 of the Act revising the European Patent Convention of 29 November 2000, OJ 2007, Special Edition No. 1, p197, A2):
- A65 EPC :
- Translation of the patent;
- A99 EPC :
- Opposition;
- A101 EPC :
- Examination of the opposition;
- A103 EPC :
- Publication of a new specification;
- A104 EPC :
- Apportionment of costs;
- A105 EPC :
- Intervention of the infringer;
- A105bis EPC, A105ter EPC to A105quater EPC :
- Limitation or revocation of a patent;
- A138 EPC :
- Invalidity of European patents.
Decisions of the Boards of Appeal issued as of 13 December 2007
The following provisions of the EPC 2000 shall apply to decisions of the Boards of Appeal issued as of 13 December 2007 (Decision of the Administrative Council of 28 June 2001 on the transitional provisions under Article 7 of the Act revising the European Patent Convention of 29 November 2000, OJ 2007, Special Edition No. 1, p197, A4):
- A112a EPC :
- Review of decisions by the Enlarged Board of Appeal.
Summary of Articles
Transitional provisions – Articles (table 1)
Transitional provisions – Articles (table 2)
Transitional provisions – Articles (table 3)
Transitional provisions – Articles (table 4)Special case of « harmonized » and non-« amended » articles
Certain articles have been harmonized across the different languages but their general content has not been amended. This is, for example, the case for Article A24(3) EPC, the German version of which has been aligned with the other languages.
It was held that (T49/11) Article 7(1) of the Revision Act did not apply to articles that were merely harmonized: thus, harmonized articles apply to any patent application regardless of their filing date.
- A135 EPC :