Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
3.2.5 The European Patenting Procedure
The purpose of the European Patent Convention (EPC) was to establish a
uniform
procedure
of granting patents for invention (utility models are not envisaged), rec-
ognized by all Contracting States (currently 37—see Fig.
3.2
).
The headquarters of the European Patent Office (EPO) are located in Munich,
The Hague, Berlin and Vienna. European patent applications may be filed either
directly at the EPO or at national patent offices (in Italy the UIBM). Patent appli-
cations may also be filed online. It is important to point out that the European pat-
ent is not an exclusive title, but contains a bundle of national patents.
The European patent granting procedure starts at the
Receiving Section
, which
verifies the formal requirements (such as the payment of filing and fees) to estab-
lish a filing date.
In failure thereof, the application will be deemed to be withdrawn.
Fig. 3.2
EPC contracting states (EPO)
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