Chapter III – Effects of the European patent and the European patent application
Article 66 40
Equivalence of European filing with national filing
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. |
A European patent application which has been accorded a date of filing shall, in the designated Contracting States, be equivalent to a regular national filing, where appropriate with the priority claimed for the European patent application.
40See decisions/opinions of the Enlarged Board of Appeal G 4/98, G 2/02 and G 3/02 (Annex I).