EPC Procedure
Full course description
This course covers procedural aspects of the European Patent Convention and focuses on the application, acquisition, opposition, grant, revocation of a European patent, and the interface with national procedures.
The course contains two lectures. Attendance during the lectures is obligatory. It is strongly advised to properly prepare for the lectures as explained on the Study Material page. Interaction and proper preparation during the lectures will be taken into account for scoring.
Further, each student will be required to submit two written assignments during the entire module; the first assignment will amount to 40% of the final score. The second assignment will amount to 60% of the final score.
Taught by: Jeroen Declerck (IP Hills)
Course objectives
At the end of this course, the student is familiar with all procedural aspects of the procedure before the European Patent Office including filing a European patent application, the European search report and search opinion; publication of the European patent application; substantive examination, grant of a European patent or refusal of the patent application. In addition, the entry of an international (PCT) application into the regional phase before the EPO is dealt with. Students are also made familiar with opposition to a granted European patent, limitation and revocation proceedings as well as the appeal procedure. Recent developments of the unitary EU Patent are included. The students will also be familiar with calculating time limits, fee payments and the available remedies under the EPC.