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Anna Bassanini Liaison Officer, European Patent Academy 10 June 2015

The European Patent Office

An introduction to the EPO and the European patent system

European Patent Office

Contents

§ About the European Patent Office

§ The role of the EPO

§ Statistics

§ Contact points

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European Patent Office

Our 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.

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European Patent Office

Our history

1973

5 October 1973

1977

2013

Diplomatic Conference in Munich

Signature of the European Patent Convention

(EPC) by 16 countries

Entry into force of the EPC in 7 countries

Foundation of the European Patent Organisation

Foundation of the European Patent Office

Celebration of 40 years of the EPC

More on www.epo.org

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European Patent Office

Seven founding states in 1977

Belgium • Germany • France • Luxembourg • Netherlands • Switzerland • United Kingdom

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European Patent Office

... 17 member states in 1992 ...

Belgium • Germany • France • Luxembourg • Netherlands • Switzerland • United Kingdom •Sweden • Italy • Austria • Liechtenstein • Greece • Spain •Denmark • Monaco • Portugal •Ireland

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European Patent Office

... 25 member states in 2002 ...

Belgium • Germany • France • Luxembourg • Netherlands • Switzerland • United Kingdom •Sweden • Italy • Austria • Liechtenstein • Greece • Spain • Denmark • Monaco • Portugal •Ireland • Finland • Cyprus •Turkey • Bulgaria • Czech Republic •Estonia • Slovakia • Slovenia

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European Patent Office

... 32 member states in 2007 ...

Belgium • Germany • France • Luxembourg • Netherlands • Switzerland • United Kingdom •Sweden • Italy • Austria • Liechtenstein • Greece • Spain • Denmark • Monaco • Portugal •Ireland • Finland • Cyprus •Turkey • Bulgaria • Czech Republic •Estonia • Slovakia • Slovenia •Hungary • Romania • Poland •Iceland • Lithuania • Latvia • Malta

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European Patent Office

Today....

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38 European member states Belgium • Germany • France • Luxembourg Netherlands • Switzerland • United Kingdom Sweden • Italy • Austria • Liechtenstein Greece • Spain • Denmark • MonacoPortugal • Ireland • Finland • Cyprus Turkey • Bulgaria Czech Republic Estonia • Slovakia • Slovenia • Hungary Romania • Poland • Iceland • Lithuania Latvia • Malta • Croatia • Norway Former Yugoslav Rep. • Macedonia San Marino • Albania • Serbia

2 European extension states Bosnia-Herzegovina • Montenegro

1 Validation state Morocco

European Patent Office

Our status

§ Second-largest intergovernmental

institution in Europe

§ Not an EU institution

§ Self-financing, i.e. revenue from fees

covers operating and capital

expenditure

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European Patent Office

European Patent Organisation

Administrative Council European Patent Office

The executive body

§ is responsible for

searching, examining and

publishing patent

applications

§ is responsible for holding

opposition proceedings

§ is responsible for appeal

proceedings before the

boards of appeal

The legislative body

§ is made up of delegates

from the member states

§ supervises the activities

of the Office

§ appoints the President

§ votes on the Office's

budget

Structure of the European Patent Organisation

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European Patent Office

Structure of the European Patent Office

Directorates-General

Operations

DG 1

Guillaume Minnoye

Operational SupportDG 2

Alberto CasadoCerviño

Administration

DG 4

Željko Topi•

Legal/International AffairsDG 5

Raimund Lutz

President

Benoît Battistelli

Presidential area

DG 0

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Appeals

DG 3

Wim van der Eijk

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European Patent Office

Structure of the European Patent Office

Directorates-General

Operations

DG 1

Guillaume Minnoye

Administration

DG 4

Željko Topi•

Legal/InternationalAffairsDG 5

Raimund Lutz

President

Benoît Battistelli

Presidential area

DG 0

Patent Administration

Quality Management

Information Management

Human Resources

General Administration

Central Procurement

European and International Co-operation

Patent Law and Multilateral Affairs

Legal Services

Patent Information and European Patent Academy

SearchSubstantive ExaminationOpposition

Business Services

Operational SupportDG 2

Alberto CasadoCerviño

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Appeals

DG 3

Wim van der Eijk

European Patent Office

Our five locations in Europe

Headquarters Liaison officewith the EU

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European Patent Office

Our staff

Total

Munich

The Hague

Berlin

Vienna

Brussels

3 825

2 688

269

106

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6 892

Around 60% are patent examiners

Source: EPO data 2014

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European Patent Office

A multicultural working environment

§ Over 30 different nationalities

§ Three languages for working in and for

communicating with applicants:

• English

• French

• German

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European Patent Office

Contents

§ About the European Patent Office

§ The role of the EPO

§ Statistics

§ Contact points

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European Patent Office

The role of the EPO in the European grant procedure

§ We provide patent protection

• in up to 40 European countries and

Morocco (validation state)

• based on a single application

• in one of the three official languages

(English, French, German)

§ We are also responsible for

• limitation and revocation proceedings by

patentees

• opposition proceedings by third parties

• appeal proceedings before the boards

of appeal

§ The EPO makes all patent documents

available to the public

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European Patent Office

The EPO also processes international (PCT) applications

§ We act as a receiving office for

international applications (PCT)

§ We carry out approximately:

• 40% of all international search

procedures

• 48% of all international preliminary

examinations

§ The EPO delivers the international

search report within 3 months*

* From the date of receipt of the application by the International Searching Authority.

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European Patent Office

Three ways to start the European procedure

Applicant files a direct European application= 1st filing

Applicant files anational application

Applicant files aPCT application

Applicant files a European application= 2nd filing1)

Application enters European phase

European

search and

examination

procedure

European route

National route

International route

1) By claiming priority of an earlier application filed with a national office within 12 months.

European route

National route

International route

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European Patent Office

The European grant procedure in more detail (1)

Applicant

EPO

Public

Europeanpatentapplication

Filing andformalitiesexamination

Search and searchreport togetherwith preliminaryopinion on patentability

Grant ofEuropean patent

Publicationof the patentspecification

Validation in designated states

withdrawal of application

Substantiveexamination

Publication of the application and search report

Observations by third partiespossible

Refusal or

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European Patent Office

Limitation orrevocationproceedings

Substantiveexamination

Grant of European patent

Oppositionproceedings

Appealproceedings

Publication of the patentspecification

Validation in designated states

Applicant

EPO

Public

withdrawal of application

Refusal or

The European grant procedure in more detail (2)

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European Patent Office

Europeanpatentapplication

Filing andformalitiesexamination

Search report with preliminaryopinion onpatentability

Grant ofEuropeanpatent

Refusal or withdrawal of application

Substantiveexamination

The European patent with unitary effect

Unitary patent

for the territories of the25 participating states

At the request

of the patent proprietor

Limitation/revocation/oppositionproceedings

Appealproceedings

Same grant procedure as for classic European patent

The unitary patent replaces the individual effects of the European patent

in the 25 participating states

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European Patent Office

The Unified Patent Court

Court of First Instance

Central Division

Seat in

Paris

Office of President

Sectionin

Munich

Sectionin

London

Local Divisions

LD

LDLD

LD

LD

set up in individual member states

LD

Regional Divisionsset up by groups of member states

RD

RD

RD

RD

Court of Justiceof the

European Union

Requestsfor

preliminary rulings

Revocation actions Infringement actions

Appeals

LD

LD

Court of Appeal

with seat in Luxembourg

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European Patent Office

The unitary patent and the EPO member states

Unitary patent statesAustria • Belgium • Bulgaria • Cyprus • Czech Republic • Denmark • Estonia • Finland • France • Germany • Greece • Hungary • Ireland • Latvia • Lithuania • Luxembourg • Malta • Netherlands • Poland • Portugal • Romania • Slovakia • Slovenia • Sweden • United Kingdom

Other EPO member statesItaly • Spain • Iceland • Switzerland • Norway • Turkey • Monaco • San Marino • Liechtenstein • Croatia • Serbia • Albania • Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

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European Patent Office

Objectives of the unitary patent

A less expensiveand less cumbersome

patent system for Europe

Æ Facilitates access to patent protectionfor SMEs and research centres

Æ Makes Europe more attractive forinnovation and investors

Æ Boosts Europe's competitiveness

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European Patent Office

Concrete benefits

§ Protection in one single step for the 25 states currently participating

§ Simplified registration procedure instead of 25 different validations

§ Simplified and cost-effective renewal fee payment

§ No post-grant translation required (after initial transition period)

§ Centralised register maintained by the EPO

§ Uniform litigation system affording greater legal certainty

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European Patent Office

When will it all start?

§ European applications already "in the pipeline" today might

be given unitary effect if granted after the system starts

§ Minimum of 13 states • including GB, FR, DE • must ratify

the agreement on a Unified Patent Court

§ First unitary patents will cover only the states which have

ratified the agreement, then more as states accede

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European Patent Office

Contents

§ About the European Patent Office

§ The role of the EPO

§ Statistics

§ Contact points

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European Patent Office

Total European patent filings1)

1) Direct European filings under the EPC and international filings under the PCT.

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European Patent Office

Origin of European patent filings (2014)1)

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DE: Germany I FR: France I CH: Switzerland I NL: Netherlands I GB: United KingdomUS: United States I JP: Japan I CN: P.R. China I KR: R. Korea I EPO: European Patent Organisation

Shares in Direct European filings under the European Patent Convention (EPC) and international filings under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).

European Patent Office

Technical fields1) with the most applications (2014)2)

1) Classified according to the IPC and technology concordance table as revised in January 20132) Based on European patent applications filed with the EPO.

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European Patent Office

Top applicants seeking patent protection from the EPO in 20141)

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1) Based on European patent applications filed with the EPO.

European Patent Office

Granted patents (2014)1)

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DE: Germany I FR: France I CH: Switzerland I NL: Netherlands I GB: United KongdomUS: United States I JP: Japan I CN: P.R. China I KR: South Korea I EPO: European Patent Organisation

1) Analysis based on granted patents in 2014. Patents have been allocated to the country of residence of the first-named patentee.

EPO Member states51%

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European Patent Office

Contents

§ About the European Patent Office

§ The role of the EPO

§ Statistics

§ Contact points

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European Patent Office

Need more information?

§ Visit www.epo.org

§ Follow us on

www.facebook.com/europeanpatentoffice

twitter.com/EPOorg

www.youtube.com/EPOfilms

www.linkedin.com/company/european-patent-office

§ Contact us via www.epo.org/contact

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