European Patent Organisation Totally Explained

Everything about The European Patent Organisation totally explained

The European Patent Organisation (EPO or EPOrg) is a public international organisation created in 1977 to grant patents in Europe under the European Patent Convention (EPC) of 1973. The European Patent Organisation has its seat at Munich, Germany, and has administrative and financial autonomy. the European Patent Office, which acts as its executive body, in order to distinguish it from the European Patent Organisation) examines and grants European patents under the European Patent Convention. Its headquarters are located at Munich, Germany with a branch in Rijswijk (a suburb of The Hague, Netherlands), sub-offices in Berlin, Germany, and Vienna, Austria and a "liaison bureau" in Brussels, Belgium.

Administrative Council

The Administrative Council is made up of members of the contracting states and is responsible for overseeing the work of the European Patent Office,

Contracting States and extension states

There are, as of January 2008, 34 Contracting States to the EPC, also called member states of the European Patent Organisation: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom (see European Patent Convention article for the dates of entry in force in each country). The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia have been invited to accede to the EPC.
In addition there are four "extension states" which are not Contracting States to the EPC but have instead signed extension agreements under which the protection conferred by European patent applications and patents is extended to the relevant country. These are Albania, Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Further Information

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