Guidelines for Examination
PART D
CHAPTER IV PROCEDURE UP TO SUBSTANTIVE EXAMINATION
4. Termination of opposition proceedings in the event of inadmissible opposition
 

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PART D
CHAPTER IV PROCEDURE UP TO SUBSTANTIVE EXAMINATIONCHAPTER IV PROCEDURE UP TO SUBSTANTIVE EXAMINATION
  3. Rejection of the opposition as inadmissible by the Opposition Division, the proprietor of the patent not...3. Rejection of the opposition as inadmissible by the Opposition Division, the proprietor of the patent not...     5. Preparation of substantive examination5. Preparation of substantive examination  
 

4.

Termination of opposition proceedings in the event of inadmissible opposition

 

Under the terms of Art. 101(1) and Rule 57(1), the examination as to whether the European patent can be maintained can only be performed if at least one admissible opposition has been filed. This means that the Opposition Division has to refrain from commenting on the substantive merits of the opposition when expressing an opinion on its inadmissibility if there is no further admissible opposition (see T 925/91, OJ 7/1995, 469). Opposition proceedings are terminated once all notices of opposition filed against a European patent have been rejected as inadmissible and the last decision in this respect has become final. This will be communicated to the parties.