Guide for Applicants - Part 2:How to get a European patent: A. General overview, The role of the EPO in the international phase, Euro-PCT application

Guide for Applicants - Part 2
How to get a European patent

How to get a European patent

A. General overview

B. The EPO as a PCT receiving Office

C. The EPO as an International Searching Authority

D. The EPO as an International Preliminary Examining Authority

E. Euro-PCT procedure before the EPO as a designated or elected Office

Annexes

Guide for Applicants - Part 2

A. General overview

The role of the EPO in the international phase

The role of the EPO in the European phase

Euro-PCT application

Euro-PCT application

An international application for which the European Patent Office is a designated Office (see points 35 and 156), and which has been accorded an international filing date has the effect of a regular European application. Such an international application, being equivalent to a regular European patent application, is usually referred to as a 'Euro-PCT application''.

Art. 11(3) PCT

Annex II contains a chart illustrating the various phases of a Euro-PCT application with the most important time limits.

PCT Newsletter 10/2004, 2