1. Amended Rule 141(2) EPC provides that a copy of the search results under Rule 141(1) EPC is deemed to be duly filed if it is available to the European Patent Office (EPO) and to be included in the file of the European patent appli- cation under the conditions determined by the President of the EPO 1.

2. Following a decision of the President of the EPO, the EPO includes the above- mentioned copy in the file of a European patent application where it has drawn up certain types of search report on an application whose priority is claimed, thus exempting applicants in these cases from filing the copy themselves 2.

3. The President of the EPO has more- over decided that the EPO also includes a copy of the search results in the file of a European patent application, thus exempting the applicant from filing the copy himself, where the priority of a first filing made in Austria 3, Japan, the United

1 See notice from the European Patent Office dated 28 July 2010 concerning amended Rule 141 EPC and new Rule 70b EPC utilisation scheme, OJ EPO 2010, 410.

2 See decision of the President of the European Patent Office dated 5 October 2010 on the filing of copies of search results under Rule 141(1) EPC utilisation scheme, OJ EPO 2010, 600.

3 See decision of the President of the European Patent Office dated 19 September 2012 exempting applicants claiming the priority of a first filing made in Austria from filing a copy of the search results under Rule 141(1) EPC utilisation scheme, OJ EPO 2012, 540.

Kingdom or the United States of America is claimed 4.

4. The Republic of Korea is henceforth providing the EPO in electronic form with the search results covered by Rule 141(1) EPC. By decision dated 27 February 2013, the President of the EPO has therefore added the Republic of Korea to the above list of countries 5.

5. As a result, applicants will be exempted from filing a copy of the search results under Rule 141(1) EPC if they are claiming the priority of either

an application on which the EPO drew up a certain type of search report, or

a first filing made in Austria, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom or the United States of America.

4 See decision of the President of the European Patent Office dated 9 December 2010 exempting applicants claiming the priority of a first filing made in Japan, the United Kingdom or the United States of America from filing a copy of the search results under Rule 141(1) EPC utilisation scheme, OJ EPO 2011, 62.

5 See decision of the President of the European Patent Office dated 27 February 2013 exempting applicants claiming the priority of a first filing made in the Republic of Korea from filing a copy of the search results under Rule 141(1) EPC utilisation scheme, OJ EPO 2013, 216.

References: r141;