Category Archives: European Law

EPO: Abandonment of Established and Efficient Safety Mechanisms for Users

This week we received an official notification of the European Patent Office (EPO) along with the regular statement of our deposit account of 10 February 2014 with the headline “abolishment of the administration fee in case of insufficient cover of … Continue reading

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OHIM: New Website Goes Online!

This week, a visitor to the website of the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) will find that both, the functionalities and the design of the website have undergone drastic changes. The OHIM published in a press release … Continue reading

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Priority Documents: Formalities and Time Limits in Germany and Europe

Many applicants of patents, trademarks or designs in Europe or Germany have questions concerning the formalities and time limits for having the priority claim of a previously filed application confirmed. The formalities and time limits for submitting either a priority document … Continue reading

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Amended Rules for European Divisional Applications: Consequences and Strategic Considerations for Practitioners

According to an announcement of the EPO, new rules for filing European divisional applications will enter into force on April 1, 2014. The new rules will have the consequence that for all European patent applications pending on April 1, 2014, … Continue reading

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Rule 36 EPC: New Time Limits for Filing Divisional Applications at the European Patent Office

The European Patent Office (EPO) has finally bowed to the pressure of many applicants for a European patent and will introduce new rules governing the filing of divisional applications. As has been announced by the EPO on October 18, 2013, … Continue reading

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