Convention on the Grant of European Patents
(European Patent Convention)

of 5 October 1973

as revised by the Act revising Article 63 EPC of 17 December 1991

and the Act revising the EPC of 29 November 2000¹

Preamble

Part IGeneral and institutional provisionsArt. 1 – Art. 51

Chapter IGeneral provisionsArt. 1 – Art. 4a

Art. 1European law for the grant of patents

Art. 2European patent

Art. 3Territorial effect

Art. 4European Patent Organisation

Art. 4aConference of ministers of the Contracting States

Chapter IIThe European Patent OrganisationArt. 5 – Art. 9

Art. 5Legal status

Art. 6Headquarters

Art. 7Sub-offices of the European Patent Office

Art. 8Privileges and immunities

Art. 9Liability

Chapter IIIThe European Patent OfficeArt. 10 – Art. 25

Art. 10Management

Art. 11Appointment of senior employees

Art. 12Duties of office

Art. 13Disputes between the Organisation and the employees of the European Patent Office

Art. 14Languages of the European Patent Office, European patent applications and other documents

Art. 15Departments entrusted with the procedure

Art. 16Receiving Section

Art. 17Search Divisions

Art. 18Examining Divisions

Art. 19Opposition Divisions

Art. 20Legal Division

Art. 21Boards of Appeal

Art. 22Enlarged Board of Appeal

Art. 23Independence of the members of the Boards

Art. 24Exclusion and objection

Art. 25Technical opinion

Chapter IVThe Administrative CouncilArt. 26 – Art. 36

Art. 26Membership

Art. 27Chairmanship

Art. 28Board

Art. 29Meetings

Art. 30Attendance of observers

Art. 31Languages of the Administrative Council

Art. 32Staff, premises and equipment

Art. 33Competence of the Administrative Council in certain cases

Art. 34Voting rights

Art. 35Voting rules

Art. 36Weighting of votes

Chapter VFinancial provisionsArt. 37 – Art. 51

Art. 37Budgetary funding

Art. 38The Organisation's own resources

Art. 39Payments by the Contracting States in respect of renewal fees for European patents

Art. 40Level of fees and payments – Special financial contributions

Art. 41Advances

Art. 42Budget

Art. 43Authorisation for expenditure

Art. 44Appropriations for unforeseeable expenditure

Art. 45Accounting period

Art. 46Preparation and adoption of the budget

Art. 47Provisional budget

Art. 48Budget implementation

Art. 49Auditing of accounts

Art. 50Financial Regulations

Art. 51Fees

Part IISubstantive patent lawArt. 52 – Art. 74

Chapter IPatentabilityArt. 52 – Art. 57

Art. 52Patentable inventions

Art. 53Exceptions to patentability

Art. 54Novelty

Art. 55Non-prejudicial disclosures

Art. 56Inventive step

Art. 57Industrial application

Chapter IIPersons entitled to apply for and obtain a European patent – Mention of the inventorArt. 58 – Art. 62

Art. 58Entitlement to file a European patent application

Art. 59Multiple applicants

Art. 60Right to a European patent

Art. 61European patent applications filed by non-entitled persons

Art. 62Right of the inventor to be mentioned

Chapter IIIEffects of the European patent and the European patent applicationArt. 63 – Art. 70

Art. 63Term of the European patent

Art. 64Rights conferred by a European patent

Art. 65Translation of the European patent

Art. 66Equivalence of European filing with national filing

Art. 67Rights conferred by a European patent application after publication

Art. 68Effect of revocation or limitation of the European patent

Art. 69Extent of protection

Art. 70Authentic text of a European patent application or European patent

Chapter IVThe European patent application as an object of propertyArt. 71 – Art. 74

Art. 71Transfer and constitution of rights

Art. 72Assignment

Art. 73Contractual licensing

Art. 74Law applicable

Part IIIThe European patent applicationArt. 75 – Art. 89

Chapter IFiling and requirements of the European patent applicationArt. 75 – Art. 86

Art. 75Filing of a European patent application

Art. 76European divisional applications

Art. 77Forwarding of European patent applications

Art. 78Requirements of a European patent application

Art. 79Designation of Contracting States

Art. 80Date of filing

Art. 81Designation of the inventor

Art. 82Unity of invention

Art. 83Disclosure of the invention

Art. 84Claims

Art. 85Abstract

Art. 86Renewal fees for the European patent application

Chapter IIPriorityArt. 87 – Art. 89

Art. 87Priority right

Art. 88Claiming priority

Art. 89Effect of priority right

Part IVProcedure up to grantArt. 90 – Art. 98

Art. 90Examination on filing and examination as to formal requirements

Art. 91 (deleted) 

Art. 92Drawing up of the European search report

Art. 93Publication of the European patent application

Art. 94Examination of the European patent application

Art. 95 (deleted) 

Art. 96 (deleted) 

Art. 97Grant or refusal

Art. 98Publication of the specification of the European patent

Part VOpposition and limitation procedureArt. 99 – Art. 105c

Art. 99Opposition

Art. 100Grounds for opposition

Art. 101Examination of the opposition – Revocation or maintenance of the European patent

Art. 102 (deleted) 

Art. 103Publication of a new specification of the European patent

Art. 104Costs

Art. 105Intervention of the assumed infringer

Art. 105aRequest for limitation or revocation

Art. 105bLimitation or revocation of the European patent

Art. 105cPublication of the amended specification of the European patent

Part VIAppeals procedureArt. 106 – Art. 112a

Art. 106Decisions subject to appeal

Art. 107Persons entitled to appeal and to be parties to appeal proceedings

Art. 108Time limit and form

Art. 109Interlocutory revision

Art. 110Examination of appeals

Art. 111Decision in respect of appeals

Art. 112Decision or opinion of the Enlarged Board of Appeal

Art. 112aPetition for review by the Enlarged Board of Appeal

Part VIICommon provisionsArt. 113 – Art. 134a

Chapter ICommon provisions governing procedureArt. 113 – Art. 126 

Art. 113Right to be heard and basis of decisions

Art. 114Examination by the European Patent Office of its own motion

Art. 115Observations by third parties

Art. 116Oral proceedings

Art. 117Means and taking of evidence

Art. 118Unity of the European patent application or European patent

Art. 119Notification

Art. 120Time limits

Art. 121Further processing of the European patent application

Art. 122Re-establishment of rights

Art. 123Amendments

Art. 124Information on prior art

Art. 125Reference to general principles

Art. 126 (deleted) 

Chapter IIInformation to the public or to official authoritiesArt. 127 – Art. 132

Art. 127European Patent Register

Art. 128Inspection of files

Art. 129Periodical publications

Art. 130Exchange of information

Art. 131Administrative and legal co-operation

Art. 132Exchange of publications

Chapter IIIRepresentationArt. 133 – Art. 134a

Art. 133General principles of representation

Art. 134Representation before the European Patent Office

Art. 134aInstitute of Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office

Part VIIIImpact on national lawArt. 135 – Art. 141

Chapter IConversion into a national patent applicationArt. 135 – Art. 137

Art. 135Request for conversion

Art. 136 (deleted) 

Art. 137Formal requirements for conversion

Chapter IIRevocation and prior rightsArt. 138 – Art. 139

Art. 138Revocation of European patents

Art. 139Prior rights and rights arising on the same date

Chapter IIIMiscellaneous effectsArt. 140 – Art. 141

Art. 140National utility models and utility certificates

Art. 141Renewal fees for European patents

Part IXSpecial agreementsArt. 142 – Art. 149a

Art. 142Unitary patents

Art. 143Special departments of the European Patent Office

Art. 144Representation before special departments

Art. 145Select committee of the Administrative Council

Art. 146Cover for expenditure for carrying out special tasks

Art. 147Payments in respect of renewal fees for unitary patents

Art. 148The European patent application as an object of property

Art. 149Joint designation

Art. 149aOther agreements between the Contracting States

Part XInternational applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty – Euro-PCT applicationsArt. 150 – Art. 158 

Art. 150Application of the Patent Cooperation Treaty

Art. 151The European Patent Office as a receiving Office

Art. 152The European Patent Office as an International Searching Authority or International Preliminary Examining Authority

Art. 153The European Patent Office as designated Office or elected Office

Art. 154 (deleted) 

Art. 155 (deleted) 

Art. 156 (deleted) 

Art. 157 (deleted) 

Art. 158 (deleted) 

Part XITransitional Provisions (deleted)

Part XIIFinal provisionsArt. 164 – Art. 178

Art. 164Implementing Regulations and Protocols

Art. 165Signature – Ratification

Art. 166Accession

Art. 167 (deleted) 

Art. 168Territorial field of application

Art. 169Entry into force

Art. 170Initial contribution

Art. 171Duration of the Convention

Art. 172Revision

Art. 173Disputes between Contracting States

Art. 174Denunciation

Art. 175Preservation of acquired rights

Art. 176Financial rights and obligations of former Contracting States

Art. 177Languages of the Convention

Art. 178Transmission and notifications