08/04/2025
We are excited to announce the return of our European Patent System Training Course, updated to include the latest developments from the European Patent Office and the Unified Patent Court.
The course is 8 x 2 hour sessions where our specialists will deep-dive into the European Patent Convention (EPC), contrasting it with national systems such as the UK and Germany. They’ll also discuss the latest activity at the Unified Patent Court. The course is led by a variety of experienced European Patent Attorneys and Representatives before the Unified Patent Court.
Why take part?
- An opportunity to learn about detailed aspects of the European patent system
- An opportunity to ask questions to our team of experienced attorneys
- An opportunity to engage with other online participants
- Take away the course handouts and a recognition certificate for completion
The course leaders: Dr Alan Bates, Nick Reeve, Dr Robert Sackin
THE DETAILS
WHEN | Weekly | Wednesday 7th May – Wednesday 25th June 2025 |
WHO | The course is tailored for attorneys based in China, Korea, and Japan, whether in-house or private practice |
WHERE | The course will take place online |
COST | We are pleased to provide the course free of charge |
COURSE SYLLABUS & SCHEDULE
Meetings will be held at 8AM BST | 3PM CST | 4PM KST | 4PM JST
| Session 1: 07 May 2025 Novelty & Inventive Step at the EPO | Session 5: 04 June 2025 Procedure at the EPO |
| Novelty (Art 54(2)); implicit disclosure; accidental disclosure; novelty only citations (Art 54(3)); inventive step (Art 56) the problem and solution approach in inventive step; plausibility (G2/21); common general knowledge, the skilled person; arguments based on the prior art documents; arguments based on advantages provided by the invention; what is the EPO looking for? How to provide convincing arguments. | Filing a convention application; filing a regional phase application; priority considerations; deadlines for fees; Rule 161 communication; multiple independent claims and election; European search report; Rule 69 or Rule 70 communication and examination; examination reports; oral proceedings before the Examining Division; third party observations; the notice of allowance; accepting or refusing the allowed text; validation and opting out of the unified patent court; requesting European patent be granted with unitary effect; appeal; the opposition deadline; filing a divisional application. |
| Session 2: 14 May 2025 Added Subject Matter & Clarity at the EPO | Session 6: 11 June 2025 Pitfalls & Tips |
| How does the EPO assess added subject matter? The gold standard assessment; deletion of features from claims; intermediate generalisations; ranges and values; providing page and line basis for amendments; Examiner powers to request basis for amendments; oppositions and the added subject matter trap of Art 123; Art 84 Clarity; claim interpretation (G1/24). | Unsearched subject matter; limitations on amendments; different embodiments in the same application; excess claims fees; different categories of claims; using 15 claims effectively to avoid costs; what Examiners are looking for in inventive step arguments; added subject matter issues. |
| Session 3: 21 May 2025 Excluded Subject Matter Examples (EPO) | Session 7: 18 June 2025 Opposition & Appeal (EPO) |
| Art 52(2) EPO treatment of applications relating to computer programs, mental acts, business methods, presentations of information; meaning of “as such”; AI inventions; technical problem and technical solution approach; key case and examples; G1/19 on simulations; methods of treatment of human or animal body; diagnostic methods. | Opposition and appeal procedure; proceedings on the day; grounds for opposition; clarity (Art 84) and sufficiency (Art 83); composition of the Opposition Division, or the Board of Appeal; witnesses and witness statements; presenting arguments effectively; role of prior art and common general knowledge used in inventive step arguments; opposition and appeal oral proceedings by video conference (G1/21). |
| Session 4: 28 May 2025 Office Action Response | Session 8: 25 June 2025 The Unitary Patent System & National Systems in Germany & the UK |
| Review of an example office action, review of novelty, inventive step, clarity, sufficiency, formal matters and making of amendments including to the description; relevance of prior art; how to rebut the Examiner’s arguments of obviousness. | Key points of difference between UK and German systems for prosecution and litigation including infringement and invalidity; the unitary patent system; post-grant procedures at the EPO; double patenting. |
