EUROPEAN PATENT CONVENTION:Implementing Regulations: PART I - IMPLEMENTING REGULATIONS TO PART I OF THE CONVENTION, Chapter II - Organisation of the European Patent Office, Rule 9 - Allocation of duties to the departments of the first instance

Rule 9 - Allocation of duties to the departments of the first instance

E / D / F

Table of Contents

Preface

European Patent Convention

Implementing Regulations

Protocol on Recognition

Protocol on Centralisation

Protocol on Privileges and Immunities

Protocol on the Staff Complement

Rules Relating to Fees

Annex I

Annex II

Alphabetical keyword index

EUROPEAN PATENT CONVENTION- Table of Contents

Implementing Regulations

PART I - IMPLEMENTING REGULATIONS TO PART I OF THE CONVENTION

IMPLEMENTING REGULATIONS TO THE CONVENTION ON THE GRANT OF EUROPEAN PATENTS

PART II - IMPLEMENTING REGULATIONS TO PART II OF THE CONVENTION

Chapter II - Organisation of the European Patent Office

Chapter I - Languages of the European Patent Office

Chapter I - Procedure where the applicant or proprietor is not entitled

Rule 9 - Allocation of duties to the departments of the first instance

Rule 10 - Presidium of the Boards of Appeal

Rule 9 8

Allocation of duties to the departments of the first instance

(1) The President of the European Patent Office shall determine the number of Search Divisions, Examining Divisions and Opposition Divisions. He shall allocate duties to these departments by reference to the international classification and shall decide where necessary on the classification of a European patent application or a European patent in accordance with that classification.

(2)9 In addition to the responsibilities vested in them under the Convention, the President of the European Patent Office may allocate further duties to the Receiving Section, Search Divisions, Examining Divisions, Opposition Divisions and the Legal Division.

(3)10 The President of the European Patent Office may entrust to employees who are not technically or legally qualified examiners the execution of individual duties falling to the Examining Divisions or Opposition Divisions and involving no technical or legal difficulties.

(4) The President of the European Patent Office may grant exclusive responsibilities to one of the registries of the Opposition Divisions for fixing the amount of costs as provided for in Article 104, paragraph 2.

8 See opinion of the Enlarged Board of Appeal G 1/02 (Annex I).

9 See decision of the President of the EPO dated 10.03.1989 concerning the responsibilities of the Legal Division (OJ EPO 1989, 177 ff).

10 See notice of 28.04.1999 concerning the entrustment to non-examining staff of certain duties normally the responsibility of the Examining or Opposition Divisions (OJ EPO 1999, 503 ff) and decision of the Enlarged Board of Appeal G 2/90 (Annex I).

Art. 15-20
R. 8