EPC 2000 - Transitional Provisions

Transitional Provisions

According to Article 7(1) of the Act revising the European Patent Convention of 29 November 2000,

"The revised version of the Convention shall apply to all European patent applications filed after its entry into force, as well as to all patents granted in respect of such applications. It shall not apply to European patents already granted at the time of its entry into force, or to European patent applications pending at that time, unless otherwise decided by the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation."

Pursuant to Article 7(1) and (2) of the Act revising the EPC of 29 November 2000, the Administrative Council decided on 28 June 2001 to adopt a certain number of exceptions ("unless otherwise decided by the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation"). Amongst these exceptions (as laid out in Article 1.1 of the Administrative Council's decision of 28 June 2001), Articles 106 and 108 EPC are said to apply to all European patent applications pending at the time of the entry into force of the EPC 2000. However, the Legal Board of Appeal in case J 10/07 decided, in order to reflect the intention and purpose of those transitional provisions, to apply Articles 106 and 108 as applicable before the entry into force of the EPC 2000 (i.e. Articles 106 and 108 EPC 1973) to a pending European patent application.

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