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Europe Patent Platform

EPO / UPC · EPC 2000

Espacenet prior art search · EPC claim drafting · Rule 71(3) response · Unitary Patent election · UPC litigation strategy

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Art. 52/54/56/83/84 EPC · PSA · Unitary Patent · UPC

EPO OLF2

Quick Law Reference — EPO / UPC

Art. 52 EPC

Patentable inventions — technical character required

Art. 54 EPC

Novelty — state of the art as of effective filing date

Art. 56 EPC

Inventive step — problem-solution approach (PSA)

Art. 83 EPC

Disclosure — sufficient enablement requirement

Art. 99 EPC

Opposition — 9 months from mention of grant in EPB

Reg. 18(4) UPCA

Unitary Patent request — within 1 month of grant

Patent Journey — Pre-filing to Grant

Prior Art Search

Search Espacenet (150M+ docs), WIPO PatentScope, and USPTO. EPOForge AI applies problem-solution approach (PSA) under Art. 56 EPC to identify closest prior art and formulate the technical effect.

EspacenetWIPO PatentScopeDEPATISnet

EP Application Filing

File Euro-direct via EPO OLF2 e-filing (Form 1001) or PCT Euro-phase entry. Designate contracting states. RPBA 2021 compliance. Sequence listing XML rules apply to biotech applications.

Form 1001OLF2 e-FilingSequence Listing (XML)

ESRR + Examination

Reply to Extended Search Report + Communication under Art. 94(3) EPC. EPOForge AI drafts PSA inventive step arguments and Rule 137 claim amendments. Rule 71(3) allowance issued.

Art. 94(3) ResponseRule 137 AmendmentsRule 71(3) Approval

Grant + Unitary Patent

Request Unitary Patent within 1 month of grant for coverage across 18 UP states. Or validate nationally. Opposition window 9 months (Art. 99 EPC). UPC jurisdiction by default after sunrise period.

UP Request (Reg. 18(4) UPCA)National ValidationOpposition (Art. 99)

Fee Schedule — EPO / UPC

Action	Fee (EUR approx.)	Timing	Notes
Filing Fee (Euro-direct, online)	€135	At filing	Paper filing adds €200 surcharge
Search Fee	€1,460	At filing	Generates Extended Search Report (ESRR)
Examination Fee	€1,860	6 months after ESRR	Request under Art. 94 EPC
Unitary Patent Annual Renewal (UP)	€35–€1,575/yr	Annually from grant	Replaces national validation in 18 states

⚠️ EPO fees in EUR. Verify at epo.org/fees. National validation fees apply in non-UP contracting states. UP covers 18 member states with one fee.

EPOForge AI — EPC Tools & Strategy

5 interactive tools

Auxiliary Requests Generator

Rule 116 EPC · GL/OJ EPO C-V 1.1 · Oral Proceedings strategy

Number of Auxiliary Requests

EPO recommends filing up to 3 ARs in order of preference during oral proceedings or with Rule 116 response.

Main Request (MR) — Independent Claim

AR1 — Narrowing Limitation(add a preferred feature from the description)

AR2 — Narrowing Limitation(further restrict to a specific embodiment)

Rule 161/162 EPC Response Drafter

Euro-PCT national phase entry · 6-month response deadline from IPER

International Publication Date (PCT)

Select Actions Required for Your Rule 161 Response

Rule 161 response deadline: 6 months from the date of communication from EPO (Rule 161(1) EPC). No automatic extension — failure to respond leads to deemed withdrawal of the application.

Unitary Patent vs. National Validation Calculator

Regulation (EU) No 1257/2012 · UPC Agreement · Effective June 2023

Protection Period

Select Target Countries(UP covers 18 EU states; GB/CH require separate national validation)

National Validation

€22,400

3 countries × 10 yrs

Unitary Patent

€9,850

18 EU states · 10 yrs

UP Saves

€12,550

over 10 years

Unitary Patent recommended — you save ~€12,550 over 10 years vs. validating nationally in 3 UP-eligible states. UP also provides centralised UPC enforcement access.

UPC Opt-Out / Sunrise Period Strategy

EP patents granted before or after the UPC Agreement entered into force (June 1, 2023) can be opted out of UPC jurisdiction via the UPC Registry. Opt-out must be filed before any UPC action is initiated against the patent. Sunrise period ended May 31, 2023 — opt-out is still available for existing EP patents.

Keep in UPC jurisdiction if:

•Unitary Patent elected post-grant
•Centralised pan-EU injunction is strategic
•You want to enforce via UPC Local/Regional Divisions

Opt-out from UPC if:

•Centralised revocation risk is unacceptable
•Patent portfolio is highly valuable / at risk
•National validation route preferred for key states

Annual renewal fees are approximate and sourced from EPO and national patent office fee schedules. Always verify current rates at epo.org and respective national offices.

Oral Proceedings Preparation Checklist

EPO Board of Appeal / Examining Division hearings · Rule 116 EPC

0/18

completed

Before the Hearing

0/5

Claims & Amendments

0/4

PSA & Inventive Step

0/4

Day of Hearing

0/5

EPO oral proceedings are conducted under Rule 116 EPC. Parties should be prepared to discuss all outstanding issues and have final requests ready at the start of the hearing.