Central industrial property office

The Patent Office

Concept House

Cardiff Road

NEWPORT

South Wales NP10 8QQ

Tel. (+ 44 1633) 81 40 00

Fax (+ 44 1633) 81 44 44

www.patent.gov.uk

or

The Patent Office

London Branch Office

Harmsworth House

13-15 Bouverie Street

LONDON EC4Y 8DP

1 Applicant can choose between EPO and national authorities (subject to column 2)

Yes

Sect. 23(1), (2) PA

2 Applications which must be filed with national authorities

Applications filed or caused to be filed by persons resident in the United Kingdom, unless:

(a) an application has been filed at the UK Patent Office for the same invention not less than six weeks before filing the European patent application outside the United Kingdom and either the comptroller of the Patent Office has not prohibited the publication of the invention under Section 22 PA or any such prohibition has been revoked, or

(b) written authority to file the application outside the United Kingdom has been obtained from the comptroller of the UK Patent Office

Sect. 23(1) PA

(see also column 5)

3 Languages in which European patent applications must or may be filed with national authorities

All the languages pursuant to Art. 14(1) and (2) EPC

4 Official language(s)

English

5 Special features

Applications may also be filed by facsimile.*

* See decision of the President of the EPO and notice from the EPO: OJ EPO 1992, 299 and 306.

Copies of all forms referred to in the following tables can be obtained from the Newport address given in the left-hand column.

re column 2:

The restrictions do not apply to an invention for which an application was first filed in a country outside the United Kingdom by persons resident abroad.

Sect. 23(2) PA