European Patent Overview
European patents are patents granted under the European Patent Convention (EPC) via a single, harmonized procedure before the European Patent Office (EPO). EPO grants European patent for 38 member countries of the European Patent Organization, after the validation valid in each of the designated European countries as if it was a national patent. The granted European patent can be also validated/extended in the following 6 additional countries which at present (10.02.2020) are not EPC members (Bosnia and Hercegovina, Montenegro, Morocco, Tunisia, Moldova and Cambodia).
The standard term of a European patent is twenty years as from the date of filing, provided that the annual renewal fees are duly paid.
How to apply for a European patent
The European Patent Office accepts applications under the European Patent Convention (EPC) and the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).
A European patent application consists of:
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a request for patent grant
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a description of the invention
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patent claims
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patent drawings (if any)
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patent abstract.
Patent applications can be filed at the EPO in any language. The official languages of the EPO are English, French and German. If the patent application is not filed in one of these languages, a translation has to be submitted. Services of a European professional representative are mandatory only for applicants residing outside Europe.
The most of the US patents, Japanese patents and other overseas patents are registered/protected in Europe by using PCT way.
What can be patented in Europe as European Patent?
Any inventions in all fields of technology that are new, involve an inventive step and are susceptible of industrial application. (Some exceptions to patentability are foreseen with the EPO Convention).
How to patent an invention?
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