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Chapter I – Common provisions governing procedure

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  1. Home
  2. The European Patent Convention – Contents
  3. European Patent Convention
  4. Part VII
  5. Chapter I
  6. Article 122
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Article 122 – Re-establishment of rights

Article 113 – Right to be heard and basis of decisions
Article 114 – Examination by the European Patent Office of its own motion
Article 115 – Observations by third parties
Article 116 – Oral proceedings
Article 117 – Means and taking of evidence
Article 118 – Unity of the European patent application or European patent
Article 119 – Notification
Article 120 – Time limits
Article 121 – Further processing of the European patent application
Article 122 – Re-establishment of rights
Article 123 – Amendments
Article 124 – Information on prior art
Article 125 – Reference to general principles
Article 126 – (deleted)

Article 122141, 142
Re-establishment of rights

Part VII – Common provisions
Chapter I – Common provisions governing procedure

(1) An applicant for or proprietor of a European patent who, in spite of all due care required by the circumstances having been taken, was unable to observe a time limit vis-à-vis the European Patent Office shall have his rights re-established upon request if the non-observance of this time limit has the direct consequence of causing the refusal of the European patent application or of a request, or the deeming of the application to have been withdrawn, or the revocation of the European patent, or the loss of any other right or means of redress. 

(2) The European Patent Office shall grant the request, provided that the conditions of paragraph 1 and any other requirements laid down in the Implementing Regulations are met. Otherwise, it shall reject the request.

(3) If the request is granted, the legal consequences of the failure to observe the time limit shall be deemed not to have ensued. 

(4) Re-establishment of rights shall be ruled out in respect of the time limit for requesting re-establishment of rights. The Implementing Regulations may rule out re-establishment for other time limits. 

(5) Any person who, in a designated Contracting State, has in good faith used or made effective and serious preparations for using an invention which is the subject of a published European patent application or a European patent in the period between the loss of rights referred to in paragraph 1 and publication in the European Patent Bulletin of the mention of re-establishment of those rights, may without payment continue such use in the course of his business or for the needs thereof.

(6) Nothing in this Article shall limit the right of a Contracting State to grant re-establishment of rights in respect of time limits provided for in this Convention and to be observed vis-à-vis the authorities of such State. 


141Amended by the Act revising the European Patent Convention of 29.11.2000.

142See decision of the Enlarged Board of Appeal G 1/86 (Annex I).

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EPC - Reference
  • R. 136, 143
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