Implementing Regulations

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Implementing Regulations
to the Convention on the Grant of European Patents

of 5 October 1973

as adopted by decision of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation of 7 December 2006 and

as last amended by decision of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation of 15 December 202027 March 2020

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Implementing Regulations

Implementing Regulationsto the Convention on the Grant of European Patents

Part IImplementing Regulations to part I of the ConventionR. 1 – R. 13

Chapter IGeneral provisionsR. 1 – R. 7

R. 1Written proceedings

R. 2Filing of and formal requirements for documents

R. 3Language in written proceedings

R. 4Language in oral proceedings

R. 5Certification of translations

R. 6Filing of translations and reduction of fees

R. 7Legal authenticity of the translation of the European patent application

Chapter IIOrganisation of the European Patent OfficeR. 8 – R. 13

Section 1General mattersR. 8 – R. 11

R. 8Patent classification

R. 9Administrative structure of the European Patent Office

R. 10Responsibility of the Receiving Section and the Examining Division

R. 11Allocation of duties to the departments of first instance

Section 2Organisation of the Boards of Appeal and the Enlarged Board of AppealR. 12 – R. 13

R. 12(deleted)

R. 12aOrganisation and management of the Boards of Appeal Unit and President of the Boards of Appeal

R. 12bPresidium of the Boards of Appeal and business distribution scheme for the Boards of Appeal

R. 12cBoards of Appeal Committee and procedure for adoption of the Rules of Procedure of the Boards of Appeal and of the Enlarged Board of Appeal

R. 12dAppointment and re-appointment of the members, including the Chairmen, of the Boards of Appeal and of the Enlarged Board of Appeal

R. 13Business distribution scheme for the Enlarged Board of Appeal

Part IIImplementing Regulations to Part II of the ConventionR. 14 – R. 34

Chapter IProcedure where the applicant is not entitledR. 14 – R. 18

R. 14Stay of proceedings

R. 15Limitation on withdrawals

R. 16Procedure under Article 61, paragraph 1

R. 17Filing of a new European patent application by the entitled person

R. 18Partial transfer of the right to the European patent

Chapter IIMention of the inventorR. 19 – R. 21

R. 19Designation of the inventor

R. 20Publication of the mention of the inventor

R. 21Rectification of the designation of an inventor

Chapter IIIRegistration of transfers, licences and other rightsR. 22 – R. 24

R. 22Registration of transfers

R. 23Registration of licences and other rights

R. 24Special entries for licence registrations

Chapter IVCertificate of exhibitionR. 25 – R. 25

R. 25Certificate of exhibition

Chapter VBiotechnological inventionsR. 26 – R. 34

R. 26General and definitions

R. 27Patentable biotechnological inventions

R. 28Exceptions to patentability

R. 29The human body and its elements

R. 30Requirements of European patent applications relating to nucleotide and amino acid sequences

R. 31Deposit of biological material

R. 32Expert solution

R. 33Availability of biological material

R. 34New deposit of biological material

Part IIIImplementing Regulations to Part III of the ConventionR. 35 – R. 54

Chapter IFiling of the European patent applicationR. 35 – R. 40

R. 35General provisions

R. 36European divisional applications

R. 37Forwarding of European patent applications

R. 38Filing fee and search fee

R. 39Designation fees

R. 40Date of filing

Chapter IIProvisions governing the applicationR. 41 – R. 50

R. 41Request for grant

R. 42Content of the description

R. 43Form and content of claims

R. 44Unity of invention

R. 45Claims incurring fees

R. 46Form of the drawings

R. 47Form and content of the abstract

R. 48Prohibited matter

R. 49General provisions governing the presentation of the application documents

R. 50Documents filed subsequently

Chapter IIIRenewal feesR. 51 – R. 51

R. 51Payment of renewal fees

Chapter IVPriorityR. 52 – R. 54

R. 52Declaration of priority

R. 53Priority documents

R. 54Issuing priority documents

Part IVImplementing Regulations to Part IV of the ConventionR. 55 – R. 74

Chapter IExamination by the Receiving SectionR. 55 – R. 60

Implementing Regulations
to the Convention on the Grant of European Patents