Frequently asked questions:
- How can I protect my invention in different Member States of the European Union?

Action:
the EIC refers for such questions to the European Patent Office where practical information can be found about the granting of a European patent.
! a legal framework for a Community Patent is under preparation

Information sources:
- European Commission
http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/internal_market/indprop/index_en.htm
- European Patent office
http://www.european-patent-office.org
- Intellectual Property Right Helpdesk
http://www.ipr-helpdesk.org/
A European patent can be obtained by filing a single application in one of the official languages of the European Patent Office (English, French or German) in a unitary procedure before the EPO and is valid in as many of the 20 contracting states as the applicant cares to designate.
A European patent affords the same rights in the designated contracting states as a national patent granted in any of these states.

How to find info?
1) Select at the website of EPO “ General Presentation” in order to get an overview of the grant procedure with following topics:
- Overviewing of the granting procedure
- Fees and costs
- Important publications
- Important addresses
- Forms
- The seven deadly sins of the inventor
2) Select “Official communications” in order to view a list with useful publications.
Ex.: Patent granting procedure - Guide for applicants
3) Find info about online filing of a patent application (epoline) via:
http://my.epoline.org/portal/public
4) Find info about existing, registered patents via:
http://www.european-patent-office.org/epidos/epr.htm

Contact address:

European Patent Office
Rennweg 12, Postfach 90
1031 Vienna, Austria
Information service
Tel.: 43 1 52126 4051
Fax: 43 1 52126 4192
e-mail: infowien@epo.org

Information Services in
Munich : tel. 49 89 2399 4512
The Hague : tel.: 31 70 340 4500
Berlin : tel. 49 30 25901 111

Japanese patent information
Tel.: 43 1 52126 4372
Fax: 43 1 52126 4197
e-mail: jpinfo@epo.org