Course: Legal issues

    • Recorded webinar: Entitlement to priority


      Watch the recorded webinar on the requirements and case law on entitlement to priority held by Britta Kley, lawyer at the European Patent Office, with the support of Chris Mercer, epi. The webinar is about ownership of the right to the claimed priority at the time of filing of the European patent application. It focuses exclusively on the formal right to priority.

      Speakers: Britta Kley, EPO, and Chris Mercer, epi.

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      Recorded webinar: Entitlement to priority Page

    • Recorded webinar: Lecture on Rule 164 EPC


      Reinoud Hesper, Lawyer in Directorate Patent Law at the European Patent Office, presents amended Rule 164 EPC which entered into force on 1 November 2014.

      Speaker: Reinoud Hesper

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      Recorded webinar: Lecture on Rule 164 EPC Page

    • Recorded webinar: Rule 36 EPC - Filing of divisional applications


      Heli Pihlajamaa, Director of Patent Law at the European Patent Office, has spoken in a live webinar session on the new rules for filing of divisional applications which enter into force on 1 April 2014. Participants had the possibility to put their questions after the presentation.

      Speaker: Heli Pihlajamaa

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      Recorded webinar: Rule 36 EPC - Filing of divisional applications Page

    • Tutorial: Filing typed amendments during oral proceedings


      Parties often file amendments to patent applications or specifications during oral proceedings. When those oral proceedings are in opposition, the EPO encourages patent proprietors to file specifications compliant with Rule 49(8) EPC and provides technical facilities and support to do so. For details, see OJ EPO 2016, A22.

      This tutorial shows you how to obtain the electronically editable version of a patent specification when at the EPO.

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      Tutorial: Filing typed amendments during oral proceedings Page

    • Tutorial: Streamlining of the opposition procedure


      On 1 July 2016, the EPO introduced a streamlined opposition procedure that simplifies opposition proceedings and deliver decisions faster, while giving parties more time to react to summons and prepare for oral proceedings.

      In doing so, the EPO expects to cut the overall duration of straightforward opposition cases from anywhere between 19 and 27 months to just 15 months.

      The changes have been summarised in the following video.

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      Tutorial:Streamlining of the opposition procedure Page