EPC 2000: changes to Register Plus

No references to EPC rules
Currently, the European Patent Register, which is accessible via Register Plus, provides information on procedural actions taken by the EPO, applicant or opponent by citing a specific rule, e.g. "Rule 51(4)". In order to avoid confusion about the rule numbers, which will change completely with EPC 2000, this practice will cease when the revised Convention enters into force. Instead, the Register will use words to give the gist of the relevant rule, e.g. "Dispatch of communication of intention to grant".

New information in the Register
Following a decision of the President of the European Patent Office dated 12 July 2007, the European Patent Register will include the following additional entries:

• If the patent's period for opposition expires without an opposition being filed: "No opposition filed"
• If an error is corrected in the European patent specification: "Patent specification corrected on (date)"
• Date of despatch of supplementary European search report
• Date of despatch of first examination communication
• Date of receipt of request for re-establishment of rights
• Refusal of request for re-establishment of rights
• Opponent's name, address and country of residence or principal place of business
• Name and business address of opponent's representative
• New documents coming to light after the European search report was drawn up
• For international applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) for which the European Patent Office acts as designated Office:
  • the international filing number
  • the international publication number
  • the international publication date
• Date of request for limitation or revocation of the European patent
• Requester's name, address and country of residence or principal place of business
• Date of petition for review by the Enlarged Board of Appeal
• Petitioner's name, address and country of residence or principal place of business
• File number of the petition for review

Synchronisation of new content for Register and Online File Inspection
Changes to the content of the European Patent Register and Online File Inspection will in future be made available to the public at the same time, via Register Plus (see Notice from the European Patent Office dated 15 August 2006 concerning the inspection of files and online consultation of the European Patent Register, OJ EPO 2006, 535). In other words, there will no longer be a time lag between the appearance of new content in the two services.

File inspection
File inspection will remain essentially unchanged, except that documents relating to the new procedures will also be available, provided they are not excluded from file inspection (see Special edition No. 3, OJ EPO 2007, J.2. and J.3. for the relevant decisions of the President).

New information on EP-A publications
A publications will carry additional information in order to take account of new situations introduced into the pre-publication phase by EPC 2000 (e.g. "late filed" claims; request for re-establishment of rights in respect of the priority period).

New B3 documents
There will be a new B publication (B3) for approved limitations of granted European patents.

The EPO has set up a special information service for enquiries relating to the EPC 2000 and the impact it will have. Send your questions to epc2000comm@epo.org

Further information
http://www.epo.org/patents/law/legislative-initiatives/epc2000.html