Chapter 1 – General overview
1.2 What is the applicable law?
1.2.001In all PCT procedures before the EPO, the PCT is applied in accordance with the provisions of Part X of the EPC, "International applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty – Euro-PCT applications", the Implementing Regulations to the EPC ("EPC Rules") and the relevant further legislation.
1.2.002The European Patent Convention of 1973 ("EPC 1973") was comprehensively revised in November 2000 ("EPC 2000"). The revised text of the EPC entered into force on 13 December 2007. Since that date some of the Implementing Regulations to the EPC 2000 have been further revised. The most up-to-date version of the EPC 2000 is provided on the EPO website.1 Any reference in this Guide to the articles of the EPC and the rules of the Implementing Regulations relates to the EPC 2000.
1.2.003The legal basis for all EPO activities under the PCT is Part X of the EPC (Articles 150-153) as implemented by the provisions of the Implementing Regulations to the EPC, in particular Rules 157-165, and by further legislation such as decisions of the President and the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation.