Article 150 - OJ 1999, 300

Decision of the President of the European Patent Office dated
25 March 1999 concerning the carrying out of international-type searches
and the setting of a new fee for such searches

- OJ 1999, 300 -

Having regard to Article 10 EPC, Articles 3 and 6(4) RFees and Article 8 of the Agreement between the EPO and WIPO under the PCT (OJ EPO 1998, 85), the President of the European Patent Office has decided as follows:

Article 1
Carrying out of international-type searches by the EPO

The European Patent Office shall, in its capacity as an International Searching Authority under the PCT, carry out an international-type search (Article 15 PCT) on a national patent application if the application is filed with the patent authority of a contracting state to the European Patent Convention and the national law of that state provides for an international-type search.

Article 2
Fees for international-type searches

(1) Unless different terms have been agreed between the European Patent Organisation and the national patent authorities of the contracting states, the fee for an international-type search under Section 2.2, No. 1 of the fees schedule shall be as follows:

EUR 945 for patent applications in which no priority is claimed (first filings);

EUR 1 482 in all other cases.

(2) The equivalents of these fees in the currencies of the contracting states shall be as follows:

Article 3

This decision shall enter into force on 1 July 1999 and shall apply to patent applications filed on or after 1 July 1999.

Done at Munich, 25 March 1999
Ingo KOBER
President