Exceptions to patentibility according to European Patent Convention

According to the regulation in the European Patent Convention (EPC) European patents shall not be granted in respect of:

(a) inventions the publication or exploitation of which would be contrary to "ordre public" or morality, provided that the exploitation shall not be deemed to be so contrary merely because it is prohibited by law or regulation in some or all of the Contracting States;

(b) plant or animal varieties or essentially biological processes for the production of plants or animals; this provision does not apply to microbiological processes or the products thereof.

(c) methods for treatment of human or animal body by surgery or therapy or diagnostic
methods practiced on human or animal body , this provision shall not apply to products , in particular substances or compositions , for use in any of these methods.
 

Prepared by European Patent Registration and Consulting Services GmbH