R.57 EPC Examination as to formal requirements

If the European patent application has been accorded a date of filing, the European Patent Office shall examine, in accordance with Article 90, paragraph 3, whether:

a translation of the application required under Article 14, paragraph 2, under Rule 36, paragraph 2, second sentence, or under Rule 40, paragraph 3, second sentence, has been filed in due time;

(b)

the request for grant of a European patent satisfies the requirements of Rule 41;

(c)

the application contains one or more claims in accordance with Article 78, paragraph 1(c), or a reference to a previously filed application in accordance with Rule 40, paragraphs 1(c), 2 and 3, indicating that it replaces also the claims;

(d)

the application contains an abstract in accordance with Article 78, paragraph 1(e);

(e)

the filing fee and the search fee have been paid in accordance with Rule 17, paragraph 2, Rule 36, paragraph 3, or Rule 38;

(f)

the designation of the inventor has been made in accordance with Rule 19, paragraph 1;

(g)

where appropriate, the requirements laid down in Rules 52 and 53 concerning the claim to priority have been satisfied;

(h)

where appropriate, the requirements of Article 133, paragraph 2, have been satisfied;

(i)

the application meets the requirements laid down in Rule 46 and Rule 49, paragraphs 1 to 9 and 12;

the application meets the requirements laid down in Rule 30.

[ Art. 76 87 88 90 123 R. 45 55 60 111 113 138 139 142 152 ]

Amended by decision of the Administrative Council CA/D 2/09 of 25.03.2009 (OJ EPO 2009, 296), which entered into force on 01.04.2010.

Amended by decision of the Administrative Council CA/D 4/08 of 21.10.2008 (OJ EPO 2008, 513), which entered into force on 01.04.2009.

Source: http://www.epo.org/law-practice/legal-texts/html/epc/2016/e/r57.html

Date retrieved: 17 May 2021

56 references found.

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EPC Articles

X A.14 EPC Languages of the European Patent Office, European patent applications and other documents

X A.76 EPC European divisional applications

X A.78 EPC Requirements of a European patent application

X A.84 EPC Claims

X A.87 EPC Priority right

X A.88 EPC Claiming priority

X A.90 EPC Examination on filing and examination as to formal requirements

X A.123 EPC Amendments

X A.133 EPC General principles of representation

EPC Implementing Rules

X Chapter I Examination by the Receiving Section

X R.17 EPC Filing of a new European patent application by the entitled person

X R.19 EPC Designation of the inventor

X R.30 EPC Requirements of European patent applications relating to nucleotide and amino acid sequences

X R.36 EPC European divisional applications

X R.38 EPC Filing fee and search fee

X R.40 EPC Date of filing

X R.41 EPC Request for grant

X R.45 EPC Claims incurring fees

X R.46 EPC Form of the drawings

X R.49 EPC General provisions governing the presentation of the application documents

X R.52 EPC Declaration of priority

X R.53 EPC Priority documents

X R.55 EPC Examination on filing

X R.58 EPC Correction of deficiencies in the application documents

X R.60 EPC Subsequent designation of the inventor

X R.111 EPC Form of decisions

X R.113 EPC Signature, name, seal

X R.137 EPC Amendment of the European patent application

X R.138 EPC Different claims, description and drawings for different States

X R.139 EPC Correction of errors in documents filed with the European Patent Office

X R.142 EPC Interruption of proceedings

X R.152 EPC Authorisations

EPO Guidelines - A Formalities Examination

X GL A II 4.1 Minimum requirements for according a date of filing

X GL A II 4.1.3.1 Reference to a previously filed application

X GL A III 1.1 Formal requirements

X GL A III 10.1 General remark

X GL A III 13.1 Payment of fees

X GL A III 14 Translation of the application

X GL A III 15 Late filing of claims

X GL A IV 5 Applications relating to nucleotide and amino acid sequences

X GL A IV 5.1 Sequence information filed under Rule 56

X GL A IV 5.2 Sequence listings of an application filed by reference to a previously filed application

X GL A VII 1.4 Invitation to file the translation

EPO Guidelines - B Search

X GL B III 3.3.1 General considerations

X GL B IV 1.2 Formal deficiencies

X GL B XI 2.2 Applications containing claims filed after the accorded date of filing

EPO Guidelines - F The European Patent Application

X GL F II 2.1 Purpose of the abstract

Offical Journal of the EPO

X OJ EPO 2009, 481 - Notice from the European Patent Office dated 20 August 2009 concerning amended Rule 36(1) and (2) EPC (European divisional applications) and consequential amendments to Rules 57(a) and 135(2) EPC

X OJ EPO 2009, 296 - Decision of the Administrative Council of 25 March 2009 amending the Implementing Regulations to the European Patent Convention (CA/D 2/09)

X OJ EPO 2008, 513 - Decision of the Administrative Council of 21 October 2008 amending the Implementing Regulations to the European Patent Convention (CA/D 4/08)

Case Law Book: III Amendments

X CLR III F 1 Language of filing and date of filing of a European patent application

General Case Law

X J 0004/09 (Form von Zeichnungen/MACPHARMAZIE) of 28.7.2009

X J 0016/13 (Correction of application documents) of 22.5.2014

X J 0019/13 (Deficiency concerning the signature on the request for grant) of 30.5.2016

X J 0013/14 () of 13.12.2016

X J 0018/16 () of 8.2.2017