Europe

There is only one kind of patent application in Europe, invention patent application.  To qualify for patent protection, the invention must be either a product, a process, or an apparatus and must be new, industrially applicable and involve an inventive step.

A European patent application allows the applicant to obtain patent protection in about 35 European countries through a single process.  Such way is a more cost-effective and efficient method in comparing to filing individual applications in preferred national states.  The application and the specification can be filed in either English, French or German. 

Each application must undergo substantive examination and can only be granted if no objection is raised by the Examiner.  After the application is granted, the applicant can decide which national states to seek protection in.    

A European patent application can claim priority from another application(s) filed in another country(ies) under the Paris Convention Treaty or from a PCT application or from another national state(s) application(s). 

The term of a European patent is the same for all contracting states to the European Patent Convention, which is 20 years from the date of filing the application.  

Invention Patent

Maintenance for Invention Patent

Preparing and filing application

Claiming one priority

Examination fee and designation fee

Registration and obtaining certificate

Filing application and registration

The 1st renewal (6-10 year)

The 2nd renewal (11-15 year)

The 3rd renewal (16-20 year)

The 4th renewal (21-25 year)