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  • Patent Index 2020
PCT-EPO Guidelines
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Guidelines for Search and Examination at the EPO as PCT Authority – Table of Contents

Overview

Guidelines for Search and Examination at the EPO as PCT Authority

Guidelines for Search and Examination at the European Patent Office as PCT Authority


March 2023 2022

List of Contents

General Part

1. Preliminary remarks
2. Explanatory notes
3. Annexes

Part A – Guidelines for Formalities Examination

Chapter IIntroduction
Chapter IIFiling of international applications and examination on filing
Chapter IIIFees
Chapter IVSpecial provisions
Chapter VDrawings
Chapter VIExamination of formal requirements
Chapter VIILanguages
Chapter VIIICommon provisions

Part B – Guidelines for Search

Chapter IIntroduction
Chapter IIGeneral
Chapter IIICharacteristics of the search
Chapter IVSearch procedure and strategy
Chapter VPreclassification and IPC classification of international patent applications
Chapter VIThe state of the art at the search stage
Chapter VIIUnity of invention
Chapter VIIISubject-matter to be excluded from the search
Chapter IXSearch documentation
Chapter XSearch report
Chapter XIThe written opinion
Chapter XIISupplementary international search (SIS)

Part C – Guidelines for Procedural Aspects in Chapter II

Chapter IIntroduction
Chapter IIFormal requirements to be met before the start of the international preliminary examination
Chapter IIIDocuments forming the basis of the international preliminary examination
Chapter IVExamination of the WO‑ISA and replies
Chapter VUnity of invention
Chapter VITime limits
Chapter VIIOther procedures in examination
Chapter VIIIThe IPER
Chapter IXSpecial requests

Part E – Guidelines on General Procedural Matters

Chapter IIntroduction
Chapter IIObservations by third parties
Chapter IIIPatent Prosecution Highway (PPH)

Part F – The International Application

Chapter IIntroduction
Chapter IIContent of an international application (other than claims)
Chapter II – Annex 1Checklist for considering the abstract (see GL/PCT‑EPO F‑II, 2.5)
Chapter II – Annex 2Units recognised in international practice (see GL/PCT‑EPO F‑II, 4.12)
Chapter IIISufficiency of disclosure
Chapter IVClaims (Art. 6 and formal requirements)
AnnexExamples concerning essential features1
Chapter VUnity of invention
Chapter VIPriority

Part G – Substantive requirements of the application

Chapter IPatentability
Chapter IIInventions
Chapter IIIIndustrial application
Chapter IVPrior art
Chapter VNon-prejudicial disclosures
Chapter VINovelty
Chapter VIIInventive step

Part H – Amendments and Corrections

Chapter IThe right to amend
Chapter IIAllowability of amendments
Chapter IIIAllowability of amendments – examples
Chapter IVCorrection of defects and errors
Alphabetical keyword index
List of sections amended in the 2023 revision
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