Subjects:

EU Law, Intellectual Property Law

The book The Annotated European Patent Convention is a commentary on the European Patent Convention. It is published in English only. It is available in paperback form. Each year a new, updated edition of the book will be published.

The book is normally published in one volume. Exceptionally, the 14th edition was published in two volumes, the first volume relating to the EPC 1973, the second volume covering the EPC 2000. The 15th edition will be published again as a single volume.

The fifteenth edition of the Annotated European Patent Convention gives the complete text of the European Patent Convention 2000 and its implementing regulations. The notes provide a commentary on the text of the law and explain the interpretation of each paragraph of the law. The notes relate to the text of the EPC 2000 and are updated till 15 November 2007.

Cross-references in the notes to articles and rules aim at giving an insight into the structure of the Convention. The provisions also contain references to the EPC 1973 to facilitate comparison of the old and new law. Numerous references to case law and the new Guidelines for the EPC 2000 allow the user to consult the source of the information contained in the notes and give a quick access to important case law. Transitional provisions for each article from the EPC 1973 to the EPC 2000 are given.

The book also contains a chapter on PCT, which gives an overview of the PCT procedure as in force on 15 November 2007, including the relations with the EPC. The closing sections of the book consist of summaries of articles and rules of various law texts, intended for obtaining a quick grasp of essential elements of these laws, a Case Law Table and an Index.

Since changes in the law and its interpretation are marked in each edition, the book has proven to be a much used tool for keeping op to date with developments of the European Patent Convention.