1. The European Patent Office and the patent granting procedure
Heli Pihlajamaa
European Patent Office
Directorate Patent Law (5.2.1)

2. European Patent Office - Mission
As the patent office for Europe,
we support innovation, competitiveness
and economic growth across Europe
through a commitment to high quality
and efficient services delivered under
the European Patent Convention.
The European Patent Office

3. The European Patent Convention
Establishes the European Patent Organisation
Provides a system of law for the granting of European patents via a centralised procedure - one language, one procedure
European patents have the effect and are subject to the same conditions as a national patent
Validation after the grant of the European patent - postponing and avoiding costs for translation
Centralized opposition, limitation and revocation procedure
The European Patent Office

4. Structure of the European Patent Organisation
The legislative body
made up of delegates from the member states
supervises the activities of the Office
has a specific legislative function
European Patent Organisation
Administrative Council
European Patent Office
The executive body
responsible for examining
European patent
applications
On the basis of bilateral agreements acting as RO, ISA and IPEA under the Patent Co-operation Treaty (PCT)
The European Patent Office

5. 36 member states
Austria • Belgium • Bulgaria • Croatia • Cyprus • Czech Republic • Denmark • Estonia • Finland • France • Germany • Greece • Hungary • Iceland • Ireland • Italy • Latvia • Liechtenstein • Lithuania • Luxembourg • Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia • Malta • Monaco • Netherlands • Norway • Poland • Portugal • Romania • San Marino • Slovakia • Slovenia • Spain • Sweden • Switzerland • Turkey • United Kingdom
European patent applications and patents can also be extended at the applicant's request to the following states:
Albania • Bosnia-Herzegovina • Serbia
Status: July 2009
The European Patent Office 5

6. Locations Munich headquarters
Alles das ist im Prinzip auf diese Gebäude aufgeteilt.
Das EPA hat verschiedene Standorte: München, Den Haag, Wien, Berlin und Brüssel.
In München ist der Hauptsitz und zwar in diesem Gebäude an der Isar direkt gegenüber vom Deutschen Museum und dem Deutschen Patent- und Markenamt. Dort arbeiten 900 Mitarbeiter (Asbestsanierung). Wir sind hier in den Pschorrhöfen, wo etwa 2500 Mitarbeiter arbeiten und zwar überwiegend Patentprüfer.
Den Haag ist der zweite grosse Standort des EPA, in Wien ist ein kleinerer Standort, wo vorallem der Bereich Patentinformation sitzt. Berlin ist eine ganz kleine Zweigstelle und in Brüssel gibt es nur ein Büro mit vier Mitarbeitern, deren Aufgabe darin besteht, den Kontakt und die Kooperation mit der Europäischen Kommission aufrecht zu erhalten.
Munich
Patent grant procedure
Appeals
Quality management
Administration
Legal services
International affairs
The Hague
Patent grant procedure
Information management
Administration
Legal services
Vienna
Patent information
Administration
European affairs
Brussels
Relations with the European
institutions and other
organisations/
associations
Berlin
Patent grant procedure
Administration
The European Patent Office

7. Number of staff Around 60 % are patent examiners. Munich 3 629
The Haag
2 659
Berlin
276
Vienna
117
Brussels 4
Total
6 685
Stand: December 2008
The European Patent Office 7

8. The European patent Advantages Patentability criteria Grant procedure Key figures Cost

9. What advantages does a European patent have?
Unitary protection standards in the contracting states
One application, one language, one procedure
“A la carte” market by possibility of excluding countries from designation
Cost effective
Cost effective when protection is sought in at least four contracting states
Strong
Thorough search – 169 million documents
Substantive examination = sound legal protection
The European patent

10. What is patentable? To be patentable, an invention must:
have a technical character (e.g. comprise a product, process or apparatus)
be new
involve an inventive step
be industrially applicable
Some innovations are not patentable under the EPC:
for example, mathematical methods or formulae, computer programs and business methods as such are not regarded as inventions
new plant or animal varieties and inventions whose commercial exploitation would be contrary to "ordre public" or morality (e.g. the cloning of human life) are examples of inventions excluded from patentability
The European Patent

11. The grant procedure at a glance
European
patent
application
Refusal of the
application
Validation in
the designated
states
Applicant
Limitation or
revocation
proceedings
Filing and
formalities
examination
Search and search
report together
with a preliminary
opinion on
patentability
Substantive
examination
Grant of a
European patent
Appeal
proceedings
European
Patent
Office
Opposition
proceedings
Publication of
the application
and search
report
Publication of
the patent
specification
Public domain
Observations by
third parties
possible
The European Patent

12. EPO Fees Filing phase EUR 1230 Online applications EUR 1150
Examination phase EUR
Grant phase EUR
Total procedural fees EUR
Online applications EUR
Die reinen Verfahrensgebühren für eine europäische Patenterteilung betragen €. (Etwa ein Drittel wird online eingereicht.) Das mag erst einmal teuer erscheinen, aber man muss bedenken, dass man anschliessend einen Patentschutz in 36 europäischen Ländern haben kann.
Es ist jedoch wichtig zu wissen, dass nach der Patenterteilung das Verfahren nicht beendet ist. Es ist nur vor dem Europäischen Patentamt beendet. Der Patentinhaber muss sein Patent in jedem einzelnen Vertragsstaat, für den er Patentschutz für seine Erfindung erhalten hat, validieren und jährlich Jahresgebühren bezahlen.
Ein Patent kostet also deutlich mehr als diese €. Es kommen Jahresgebühren, Übersetzungsgebühren (Londoner Übereinkommen) und evtl. Patentanwaltskosten hinzu.
Jahresgebühren DPMA:
The European Patent

13. Fees and some reductions
Filing fee (€180 or online filing €100) including additional fee (€12 for the 36th and each subsequent page)
Search fee (€1050) (Reduction of the search fee in certain cases, for example when the earlier application was searched by the EPO as a national application)
Where appropriate, claims fees (€200 for the sixteenth and each subsequent claim and €500 for the 51st and each subsequent claim)
Translation - 20% reduction of filing, search and examination fees, when non-official languages of the EPO being official languages of the Contracting States are used (Art. 14 EPC)
Designation fee for one or more contracting states (€500)
The European patent

14. Applications filed Direct European filings
Euro-PCT applications entering the regional phase 14

15. Applications by residence of applicant (2008)

16. European patents granted16

17. Oppositions in 2008 28.6% 39.8% 5% 31.6% Opposition rejected
Oppositions were filed against 5% of granted European patents.
Over one third of all opposed patents were revoked.
Opposition rejected
Patent revoked
28.6%
39.8% 5%
Oppositions
Nur gegen 5% der europäischen Patente wird Einspruch erhoben. Rund ein Drittel der Einsprüche führen zu einem Widerruf des Patents
Anmerkung: Die Zahl der Einsprüche hängt stark vom Wettbewerbsumfeld im jeweiligen technischen Gebiet ab. Falls ein Konkurrent im Einspruchsverfahren eine Vorbenutzung geltend macht, erlaubt dies keinen Rückschluss über die Qualität des Prüfungsverfahrens.
31.6%
Granted patents
Patent maintained in amended form 17

18. Relating to EP or PCT patent granting procedure: EPO Information Office Munich Tel EPO Customer Services Tel INFO ( ) Thank you for your attention !