Chapter II – Revocation and prior rights
Article 138
Grounds for revocation
A revised version of the European Patent Convention entered into force on 13 December 2007. The provisions of the revised Convention apply unless the transitional provisions provide for the applicability of the EPC 1973. |
(1) Subject to the provisions of Article 139, a European patent may only be revoked under the law of a Contracting State, with effect for its territory, on the following grounds:
(a) if the subject-matter of the European patent is not patentable within the terms of Articles 52 to 57;
(b) if the European patent does not disclose the invention in a manner sufficiently clear and complete for it to be carried out by a person skilled in the art;
(c) 99 if the subject-matter of the European patent extends beyond the content of the application as filed or, if the patent was granted on a divisional application or on a new application filed in accordance with Article 61, beyond the content of the earlier application as filed;
(d) if the protection conferred by the European patent has been extended;
(e) if the proprietor of the European patent is not entitled under Article 60, paragraph 1.
(2) If the grounds for revocation only affect the European patent in part, revocation shall be pronounced in the form of a corresponding limitation of the said patent. If the national law so allows, the limitation may be effected in the form of an amendment to the claims, the description or the drawings.
99See decisions/opinions of the Enlarged Board of Appeal G 3/89, G 11/91, G 2/95 (Annex I).