5. The Procedure for Obtaining a European Patent

Abstract

This chapter considers the procedure for obtaining a European patent directly from the European Patent Office (EPO) and indirectly from a competent patent office of a European Patent Convention (EPC) Contracting State or by international patent application under the Patent Cooperation Treaty 1970. It also considers the result of each procedure, and the focus within the European patent community on reducing the burden on patent applicants and improving patent quality with a view to minimizing the risk of a patent's revocation post-grant.