List of sections amended in 2022 revision

PART A

A‑II, 1.2.2

Updated in view of OJ EPO 2021, A42

A‑III, 5.3; A‑III, 5.4

Updated in view amended Rule 19 [former subsection A‑III, 5.4 has been deleted]

A‑III, 6.7

Updated in view of the termination of the PDX Agreements concerning the electronic exchange of priority documents with the USPTO, KIPO and CNIPA (OJ EPO 2021, A83 and OJ EPO 2021, A84)

A‑III, 6.12

Applicants from the People's Republic of China and Sweden are exempted from filing a copy of search results under Rule 141(1)

A‑X, 4.2.3;

A‑X, 4.4

Amended in view of the new Central Fee Payment online service (OJ EPO 2021, A61)

PART E

E‑III, 8.3.1

Updated practice regarding checking the identity of the participants to oral proceedings by videoconference

E‑III, 8.6;

E‑VI, 2;
E‑VI, 2.1;
E‑VI, 2.2;
E‑VI, 2.2.1;
E‑VI, 2.2.2;
E‑VI, 2.2.3;
E‑VI, 2.2.4;
E‑VI, 2.2.5;

E‑X, 2.10

Updated to include further details about the practice regarding late-filed submissions, and restructured by moving subsections to E‑VI, 2

E‑XIV, 3

Updated in view of OJ EPO 2021, A86 – electronic signatures on assignment documents

PART F

F‑VI, 1.5

Subsection updated by integrating the teaching of G 1/15 about partial priorities

PART G

G‑II, 1; G‑II, 2; G‑II, 3.3; G‑II, 3.3.2; G‑II, 3.5.1; G‑II, 3.5.2; G‑II, 3.6; G‑II, 3.6.2; G‑II, 3.6.3; G‑VII, 5.4; G‑VII, 5.4.1; G‑VII, 5.4.2; G‑VII, 5.4.2.4

Updated in view of decision G 01/19

G‑II, 4.1

Updated in view of decision G 01/03

G‑IV, 5.4

Updated in view of decision G 04/19

General Part

PART A

A‑II, 4.1.4

Clarified application of Rule 40(1)(a), Rule 40(1)(b) and Rule 40(1)(c)

A‑III, 3.2.2

Clarified practice when deficiencies in the physical requirements are communicated

A‑III, 6.1

Clarified practice concerning claiming priority from an application with joint applicants

A‑III, 6.7

Amended in view of new online filing tools

Outdated information deleted

Clarified practice regarding missing copy of the priority document

A‑III, 9

Clarified practice regarding the possibility of filing a divisional for pursuing any feature of a claim that is deemed abandoned due to non-payment of the claims fee

A‑III, 13.2

Clarified practice regarding the calculation of the additional fee for application documents comprising more than 35 pages

A‑IV, 1.1.3

Clarified practice regarding the persons entitled to file a divisional application

A‑IV, 4.1

Clarified practice regarding the applicability of Rule 31(1)(d) EPC – depositor of biological material – in respect of Euro-PCT applications

A‑IV, 5; A‑IV, 5.2; A‑IV, 5.3

Text of subsections updated to avoid standard-specific references in view of implementation of sequence listing Standard ST.26 on 1 July 2022

A‑IV, 5.1;

Clarified practice regarding filing a sequence listing under Rule 56

A‑VI, 1.2

Clarification about recommended practice regarding withdrawal of an application

A‑VI, 1.3

Clarified practice regarding the publication of application documents of bad quality

A‑VI, 2.4

Amended in view of digital transformation

A‑VII, 1.1

Clarified practice regarding language in which application documents may be filed

A‑VIII, 2.5;

A‑X, 4.2.3;

A‑X, 4.3; A‑X, 5.2.4; A‑X, 10.3.1

Amended in view of new online filing tools

A‑VIII, 3.3

Clarification about which types of digital signature the EPO accepts

A‑X, 7.1.1

Clarified practice regarding payments via credit card and application of Rule 139 to payments

A‑X, 9.2.1

Clarified practice regarding checks carried out under Rule 6

A‑X, 9.2.3

A‑X, 9.3.2

Clarified practice regarding reduction of the examination fee

A‑X, 9.3.1

Obsolete information deleted

A‑X, 10.3.2

Amended in view of change of internet address

PART B

B‑VII, 1.2.1

Clarified practice regarding final decision on the question of unity of invention

PART C

C‑IV, 3

Clarified practice regarding what constitutes a reply to a communication under Art. 94(3)

C‑IV, 7.2

Clarified practice regarding additional searches during examination

C‑V, 6.2

Obsolete information deleted

PART D

D‑III, 3.2

Amended in view of new online filing tools

D‑III, 3.4

Clarified practice regarding signature of a notice of opposition filed in electronic form

D‑IV, 5.2

Updated practice regarding the transmission of documents supporting parties' submissions

D‑VI, 3.2

Clarified practice regarding postponement of date under Rule 116

PART E

E‑III, 1

Clarified practice regarding oral proceedings before the Receiving Section and Legal Division

E‑III, 2

Clarified practice regarding holding oral proceedings at the request of a party

E‑III, 7.1.1;

E‑III, 11.1.1;

E‑III, 11.3

Clarified practice regarding oral proceedings

E‑III, 8.5.2

Clarified practice regarding signature on documents filed during oral proceedings by videoconference

E‑VII, 1.5

Clarified practice regarding payment of renewal fees under Rule 142

E‑VIII, 1.6.2.3

Clarified practice regarding periods to which Rule 134 applies

E‑VIII, 6; E‑XII, 8

Clarified practice regarding accelerated processing before the boards of appeal

E‑IX, 2.1.1

Clarified practice regarding which application documents are considered as being part of the procedure on entry into the regional phase before the EPO

E‑IX, 2.1.3;

E‑IX, 2.4.2

Text of subsections updated to avoid standard-specific references in view of implementation of sequence listing Standard ST.26 on 1 July 2022

E‑IX, 2.5.1

Clarified practice regarding the publication of Art. 19 PCT amendments and for which files Rule 165 EPC becomes applicable

E‑X, 2.3

Clarified practice regarding the signature on a decision by a division

PART F

F‑II, 6.1

Text of subsections updated to avoid standard-specific references in view of implementation of sequence listing Standard ST.26 on 1 July 2022

F‑III, 12

Clarified practice regarding applications where successful performance of the invention is inherently impossible

F‑IV, 3.2

Obsolete example deleted

F‑IV, 4.3; F‑IV, 4.4

Clarified practice regarding adaptation of the description¹

F‑IV, 4.7.1; F‑IV, 4.7.2

Clarified practice regarding terms such as about, approximately or substantially

F‑IV, 4.20

Clarified scope of the subsection

F‑V, 3; F‑V, 3.2

Clarified practice regarding the assessment of unity of invention

F‑V, 3.2.4

Updated to include example about multiple dependent claims and assessment of unity

PART G

G‑II, 5.3(iv)

Clarified practice regarding the exceptions under Rule 28(1)(d)

G‑II, 5.6.1; G‑II, 5.6.1.1; G‑II, 5.6.2

Clarified practice regarding antibodies

G‑VI, 8

Clarified practice regarding selection inventions

G‑VII, 5.4.2.5

Updated to include example to illustrate the application of the COMVIK approach in the field of artificial intelligence

PART H

H‑II, 5

Clarification explaining that the examining division has to assess the limitation of the search under Rule 62a and/or Rule 63, or the declaration of no search

H‑II, 6.1

Clarified practice regarding the application of Rule 137(5), second sentence

H‑II, 6.2

Clarification about the legal status of claims not fulfilling the requirements of Rule 137(5), first sentence

H‑III, 2.1.1

Clarification that only the examining division can issue a communication under Rule 137(4)

H‑V, 2.7

Updated for alignment with EPO practice

H‑V, 4; H‑V, 4.1; H‑V, 4.2; H‑V, 4.2.1; H‑V, 4.2.2;

Subsections about disclaimers have been grouped together and the subsections renumbered

General Part

PART A

A‑II, 3.1; A‑III, 4.1; A‑IV, 1.5; A‑V, 3; A‑VI, 2.6; A‑VIII, 1.6; A‑VIII, 3.1; A‑VIII, 3.2; A‑X, 5.2.1; A‑X, 5.2.4; A‑X, 9.2.2; A‑X, 10.3

PART B

B‑X, 11.6; B‑XI, 9

PART C

C‑V, 1.1; C‑V, 1.3; C‑V, 15.2

PART D

D‑I, 6; D‑III, 3.3; D‑IV, 1.2.1; D‑IV, 1.2.2.1; D‑IV, 1.4.2; D‑IV, 3; D‑VI, 1; D‑VI, 5; D‑VI, 7.2.1; D‑VII, 4.1.2; D‑X, 4.4

PART E

E‑III, 5; E‑III, 7.2.2; E‑III, 8.3.3.2; E‑III, 8.5.1.1; E‑III, 8.5.1.2;

PART F

F‑II, 4.3; F‑II, 7.2; F‑III, 6.3; F‑III, 11; F‑IV, 3.8; F‑IV, 4.12; F‑VI, 1.3; F‑VI, 2.2

PART G

G‑II, 4.2.1.1; G‑II, 4.2.1.2; G‑II, 5.2; G‑II, 5.4; G‑II, 5.5.1; G‑IV, 7.1; G‑IV, 7.3.1; G‑IV, 7.3.2; G‑IV, 7.5.3; G‑V, 1; G‑VI, 1; G‑VII, 3; G‑VII, 5.3; G‑VII, 13