European Patent Convention

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Convention on the Grant of European Patents
(European Patent Convention)

of 5 October 1973

as revised by the Act revising Article 63 EPC of 17 December 1991

and the Act revising the EPC of 29 November 2000 ¹

¹The new text of the Convention adopted by the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation by decision of 28 June 2001 (see OJ EPO 2001, Special edition No. 4, p. 55) has become an integral part of the Revision Act of 29 November 2000 under Article 3(2), second sentence, of that Act.

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European Patent Convention

Convention on the Grant of European Patents
(European Patent Convention)

Legal texts

Legal Text Megamenu Image

European Patent Convention

Convention on the Grant of European Patents(European Patent Convention)

Preamble

Part IGeneral and institutional provisionsArt. 1 – Art. 51

Chapter IGeneral provisionsArt. 1 – Art. 4a

Art. 1European law for the grant of patents

Art. 2European patent

Art. 3Territorial effect

Art. 4European Patent Organisation

Art. 4aConference of ministers of the Contracting States

Chapter IIThe European Patent OrganisationArt. 5 – Art. 9

Art. 5Legal status

Art. 6Headquarters

Art. 7Sub-offices of the European Patent Office

Art. 8Privileges and immunities

Art. 9Liability

Chapter IIIThe European Patent OfficeArt. 10 – Art. 25

Art. 10Management

Art. 11Appointment of senior employees

Art. 12Duties of office

Art. 13Disputes between the Organisation and the employees of the European Patent Office

Art. 14Languages of the European Patent Office, European patent applications and other documents

Art. 15Departments entrusted with the procedure

Art. 16Receiving Section

Art. 17Search Divisions

Art. 18Examining Divisions

Art. 19Opposition Divisions

Art. 20Legal Division

Art. 21Boards of Appeal

Art. 22Enlarged Board of Appeal

Art. 23Independence of the members of the Boards

Art. 24Exclusion and objection

Art. 25Technical opinion

Chapter IVThe Administrative CouncilArt. 26 – Art. 36

Art. 26Membership

Art. 27Chairmanship

Art. 28Board

Art. 29Meetings

Art. 30Attendance of observers

Art. 31Languages of the Administrative Council

Art. 32Staff, premises and equipment

Art. 33Competence of the Administrative Council in certain cases

Art. 34Voting rights

Art. 35Voting rules

Art. 36Weighting of votes

Chapter VFinancial provisionsArt. 37 – Art. 51

Art. 37Budgetary funding

Art. 38The Organisation's own resources

Art. 39Payments by the Contracting States in respect of renewal fees for European patents

Art. 40Level of fees and payments – Special financial contributions

Art. 41Advances

Art. 42Budget

Art. 43Authorisation for expenditure

Art. 44Appropriations for unforeseeable expenditure

Art. 45Accounting period

Art. 46Preparation and adoption of the budget

Art. 47Provisional budget

Art. 48Budget implementation

Art. 49Auditing of accounts

Art. 50Financial Regulations

Art. 51Fees

Part IISubstantive patent lawArt. 52 – Art. 74

Chapter IPatentabilityArt. 52 – Art. 57

Art. 52Patentable inventions

Art. 53Exceptions to patentability

Art. 54Novelty

Art. 55Non-prejudicial disclosures

Art. 56Inventive step

Art. 57Industrial application

Chapter IIPersons entitled to apply for and obtain a European patent – Mention of the inventorArt. 58 – Art. 62

Art. 58Entitlement to file a European patent application

Art. 59Multiple applicants

Art. 60Right to a European patent

Art. 61European patent applications filed by non-entitled persons

Art. 62Right of the inventor to be mentioned

Chapter IIIEffects of the European patent and the European patent applicationArt. 63 – Art. 70

Art. 63Term of the European patent

Art. 64Rights conferred by a European patent

Convention on the Grant of European Patents
(European Patent Convention)