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A.54 EPC Novelty

(1)

An invention shall be considered to be new if it does not form part of the state of the art.

(2)

The state of the art shall be held to comprise everything made available to the public by means of a written or oral description, by use, or in any other way, before the date of filing of the European patent application.

(3)

Additionally, the content of European patent applications as filed, the dates of filing of which are prior to the date referred to in paragraph 2 and which were published on or after that date, shall be considered as comprised in the state of the art.

(4)

Paragraphs 2 and 3 shall not exclude the patentability of any substance or composition, comprised in the state of the art, for use in a method referred to in Article 53(c), provided that its use for any such method is not comprised in the state of the art.

Paragraphs 2 and 3 shall also not exclude the patentability of any substance or composition referred to in paragraph 4 for any specific use in a method referred to in Article 53(c), provided that such use is not comprised in the state of the art.

[ Art. 53 55 56 80 85 89 100 138 153 R. 40 42 61 138 165 ]

Amended by the Act revising the European Patent Convention of 29.11.2000.

See decisions/opinions of the Enlarged Board of Appeal G 2/88, G 6/88, G 1/92, G 3/93, G 1/98, G 2/98, G 3/98, G 2/99, G 1/03, G 2/03, G 2/08, G 1/16 (Annex I).

See notice from the EPO of 20.09.2010 (OJ EPO 2010, 514).

Source: http://www.epo.org/law-practice/legal-texts/html/epc/2016/e/ar54.html

Date retrieved: 17 May 2021

762 references found. Limiting display to 200 references.

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EPC Articles

X Chapter I Patentability

X A.52 EPC Patentable inventions

X A.53 EPC Exceptions to patentability

X A.55 EPC Non-prejudicial disclosures

X A.56 EPC Inventive step

X A.80 EPC Date of filing

X A.85 EPC Abstract

X A.89 EPC Effect of priority right

X A.93 EPC Publication of the European patent application

X A.100 EPC Grounds for opposition

X A.138 EPC Revocation of European patents

X A.153 EPC The European Patent Office as designated Office or elected Office

EPC Implementing Rules

X R.40 EPC Date of filing

X R.42 EPC Content of the description

X R.61 EPC Content of the European search report

X R.138 EPC Different claims, description and drawings for different States

X R.165 EPC The Euro-PCT application as conflicting application under Article 54, paragraph 3

EPO Guidelines Foreword

X GL FOREWORD 2.1 Overview

EPO Guidelines - A Formalities Examination

X GL A III 6.8.3 Loss of rights and legal remedies

X GL A VII 7 Correction and certification of the translation

EPO Guidelines - B Search

X GL B IV 2.3 Carrying out the search; types of documents

X GL B VI 2 Oral disclosure, use, exhibition, etc. as state of the art

X GL B VI 4.1 Potentially conflicting European and international applications

X GL B VI 4.1.1 Published European applications as "E" documents

X GL B VI 4.1.2 Published international applications (WO) as "E" documents

X GL B VI 5.1 Verification of claimed priority date(s)

X GL B VI 5.3 Doubts as to the validity of the priority claim; extension of the search

X GL B X 9.1.2 "Corresponding documents"

X GL B X 9.2.1 Particularly relevant documents

X GL B X 9.2.5 Documents relating to the theory or principle underlying the invention

X GL B X 9.2.6 Potentially conflicting patent documents

X GL B XI 1.2 Position of the examining division

X GL B XI 3.9 Positive opinion

X GL B XI 4 Priority claim and the search opinion

X GL B XI 4.1 Use of "P" and "E" documents in the search opinion

X GL B XI 7 No search opinion is issued

EPO Guidelines - C Procedureal Aspects of Substantive Examination

X GL C IV 7.1 Search for conflicting European applications

X GL C IV 7.3 Search at the examination stage

X GL C VI 3 Further ways to accelerate examination

EPO Guidelines - D Opposition and Limitation/Revocation Procedures

X GL D III 5 Grounds for opposition

X GL D IV 1.2.2 Deficiencies which, if not remedied, lead to the opposition being rejected as inadmissible

X GL D V 3 Non‑patentability pursuant to Art. 52 to Art. 57

X GL D VII 2 Request for documents

X GL D VII 8 Transitional provisions for Art. 54(4) EPC 1973 and Art. 54(5)

X GL D X 10.1 Limitation results in the claims becoming different in different contracting states

X GL D X 10.2 Limitation is different for different contracting states because the claims as granted were different for different contracting states

EPO Guidelines - E General Procedural Matters

X GL E IV 1.11.1 When may models be submitted?

X GL E IV 4.1 General remarks

X GL E IX 2.3.5.1 Priority document

X GL E IX 2.5.1 Publication of the international application

X GL E X 2 Decisions taken by the examining or opposition divisions

EPO Guidelines - F The European Patent Application

X GL F II 4.3 Background art

X GL F III 8 Reference documents

X GL F IV 2.2 Two-part form

X GL F IV 2.3.1 No two-part form

X GL F IV 3.9.3 Cases where the invention is realised in a distributed computing environment

X GL F IV 4.22 Broad claims

X GL F V 3 Assessment of unity

X GL F V 3.1 Non-unity and prior art under Art. 54(3)

X GL F VI 1.4 First application

X GL F VI 2.1 Examining the validity of a right to priority

X GL F VI 2.4.1 Intermediate publication of the contents of the priority application

X GL F VI 2.4.2 Intermediate publication of another European application

X GL F VI 2.4.3 Multiple priorities claimed for different inventions in the application with an intermediate publication of one of the inventions

X GL F VI 2.4.4 A situation in which it has to be checked whether the application from which priority is actually claimed is the "first application" within the meaning of Art. 87(1)

X GL F VI 3.4 Translation of the previous application

EPO Guidelines - G Patentability

X GL G II 4.2 Surgery, therapy and diagnostic methods

X GL G IV 1 General remarks and definition

X GL G IV 2 Enabling disclosure

X GL G IV 3 Date of filing or priority date as effective date

X GL G IV 5.1 State of the art pursuant to Art. 54(3)

X GL G IV 5.1.1 Requirements

X GL G IV 5.1.2 Accorded date of filing still subject to review

X GL G IV 5.2 Euro-PCT applications

X GL G IV 7.2.1 General principles

X GL G IV 7.3.1 Cases of oral description

X GL G IV 7.5 Internet disclosures

X GL G IV 7.6 Standards and standard preparatory documents

X GL G IV 8 Cross-references between prior-art documents

X GL G VI 3 Relevant date of a prior-art document

X GL G VI 4 Enabling disclosure of a prior-art document

X GL G VI 7.1 First or further medical use of known products

X GL G VI 7.1.1 Products that may be claimed for a further medical use

X GL G VI 7.1.2 Therapeutic uses pursuant to Art. 54(5)

X GL G VI 7.1.3 Diagnostic uses pursuant to Art. 54(5)

X GL G VI 7.1.5 Dependent claims pursuant to Art. 54(5)

X GL G VI 7.2 Second non-medical use

X GL G VII 2 State of the art; date of filing

X GL G VII 5.4 Claims comprising technical and non-technical features

EPO Guidelines - H Amendments and Corrections

X GL H III 4.2 Different text in respect of the state of the art according to Art. 54(3) EPC and Art. 54(4) EPC 1973

X GL H III 4.4 Different texts where national rights of earlier date exist

X GL H V 2.3 Supplementary technical information

X GL H V 4.1 The subject-matter to be excluded is not disclosed in the application as originally filed (so-called undisclosed disclaimers)

X GL H V 7.3 Method claim to product claim

EPO PCT GL - B Search

X GL-PCT B VI 2 State of the art – oral disclosure, etc.

X GL-PCT B VIII 2.1 Methods for treatment of the human or animal body by surgery or therapy and diagnostic methods practised on the human or animal body

X GL-PCT B XI 4.2 Use of "P" documents in the written opinion

X GL-PCT B XI 4.3 Use of "E" documents in the written opinion

X GL-PCT B XII 8 Validity of priority and E/P documents

EPO PCT GL - C Procedureal Aspects Chapter II

X GL-PCT C IV 5.4 Intended positive IPER and top-up search

EPO PCT GL - F (not assigned)

X GL-PCT FOREWORD 3.1 Annex I: EPC-PCT concordance table

EPO PCT GL - G Patentability

X GL-PCT G IV 5.1 Prior art pursuant to Rules 33.1(c) and 64.3

EPO Guide for Applicants, part II Int. - C The EPO as ISA and SISA

X GA C5.5.1.2 5.5.1.2

X GA C5.7.3 5.7.3.

X GA C5.12.3 5.12.3.

X GA C5.13.5 5.13.5.

X GA C5.17 5.17

Case Law Book: I Patentability

X CLR I C 1 General

X CLR I C 2.1 General

X CLR I C 2.3 Relevant date of documents

X CLR I C 2.4.1 European prior rights

X CLR I C 2.4.2 Applicability of Article 54(3) EPC in cases of potentially colliding European parent and divisional applications

X CLR I C 2.4.3 Excluded national prior rights

X CLR I C 2.4.4 PCT applications as state of the art

X CLR I C 2.5 Non-prejudicial disclosures under Article 55 EPC

X CLR I C 2.6 In-house knowledge not published before the priority date

X CLR I C 2.8.1 Definition of "common general knowledge"

X CLR I C 3.1 General

X CLR I C 3.2.1.G Patent and utility models

X CLR I C 3.2.1.H Trade names

X CLR I C 3.2.2 Lectures and oral disclosure

X CLR I C 3.2.3.A General

X CLR I C 3.2.4.A General

X CLR I C 3.2.4.D Internal structure or composition of a product

X CLR I C 3.4.3 Distribution of prospectuses, technical descriptions

X CLR I C 4.1 General rules of interpretation

X CLR I C 4.5 Taking equivalents into account

X CLR I C 4.11 Reproducibility of the content of the disclosure

X CLR I C 5.2.8 Non-technical distinguishing features

X CLR I C 7.1.1 Introduction

X CLR I C 7.1.2 Scope of a purpose-related product claim

X CLR I C 7.1.3 Protection of a preparation in the form of a "kit-of-parts"

X CLR I C 7.2.1 Introduction

X CLR I C 7.2.2 Transitional provisions

X CLR I C 7.2.3 Purpose-limited product claims and Swiss-type claims – scope of protection

X CLR I C 7.2.4.C New technical effect

X CLR I C 7.2.4.D Same illness

X CLR I C 7.2.4.E New dosage regimen

X CLR I C 7.2.4.G Interpretation of "substance or composition"

X CLR I D 1 Introduction

X CLR I D 2 Problem and solution approach

X CLR I D 3.1 Determination of closest prior art in general

X CLR I D 3.5.4 Old prior art documents

Case Law Book: II Conditions to be met by an Application

X CLR II C 6.6.9 Chemical compounds

X CLR II C 7.2 Level of disclosure required for medical use – plausibility

X CLR II C 8.2 ‍‍Article 83 EPC and clarity of claims

X CLR II D 1 Introduction

X CLR II D 3.1.8 Selection from generic disclosure

X CLR II D 4.1 Identity of invention

X CLR II D 5.3.1 Development of the case law after G 2/98 in respect of generically formulated "OR" claims

X CLR II D 5.3.2 Referral case G 1/15 ("Partial priority")

X CLR II D 5.3.3 Application of G 1/15 in the jurisprudence of the boards

X CLR II E 1.1 General principles

X CLR II E 1.3.7 Novelty test

X CLR II E 1.7.2.B Principles established in G 2/10 for disclosed disclaimers

X CLR II E 1.7.2.C Explanations in G 1/16

X CLR II E 1.7.3.E Drafting of disclaimers – clarity

X CLR II E 1.7.3.G Negative features

X CLR II E 2.6.6 From use claim to Swiss-type claim

X CLR II E 2.6.7 From Swiss-type claim to purpose related product claim under Article 54(5) EPC

X CLR II F 5 Double patenting

X CLR II F 5.2 Different subject-matter and scope of protection; overlapping subject-matter

Case Law Book: III Amendments

X CLR III G 4.1 Principle of free evaluation of evidence

X CLR III G 4.2.1.D Contradictory or consistent testimony

X CLR III G 4.3.2.C Miscellaneous – evaluation in the case law

X CLR III G 4.3.4.A Commercial brochures

X CLR III G 4.3.4.C Archives and internet publications

X CLR III G 4.3.6 Abusive conduct

X CLR III G 5.2.1 General

Case Law Book: IV Divisional Applications

X CLR IV A 8.2.2.B Time limit for request for correction

X CLR IV C 3.4.1 General

Case Law Book: V Priority

X CLR V A 4.12.3 Response to objections

X CLR V A 9.5.10.B Wrong assessment of prior art or technical content

Case Law of the Enlarged Board

X G 0002/88 (Friction reducing additive) of 11.12.1989

X G 0006/88 (Plant growth regulating agent/BAYER) of 11.12.1989

X G 0001/92 (Availability to the public) of 18.12.1992

X G 0003/93 (Priority interval) of 16.8.1994

X G 0001/98 (Transgenic plant/NOVARTIS II) of 20.12.1999

X G 0002/98 (Requirement for claiming priority of the "same invention") of 31.5.2001

X G 0003/98 (Six-month period/UNIVERSITY PATENTS) of 12.7.2000

X G 0002/99 (Six-month period) of 12.7.2000

X G 0001/03 (Disclaimer/PPG) of 8.4.2004

X G 0002/03 (Disclaimer/GENETIC SYSTEMS) of 8.4.2004

X G 0002/08 (Dosage regime/ABBOTT RESPIRATORY) of 19.2.2010

X G 0002/10 (Disclaimer/SCRIPPS) of 30.8.2011

X G 0002/12 () of 25.3.2015

X G 0002/13 () of 25.3.2015

X G 0003/14 () of 24.3.2015

X G 0001/15 () of 29.11.2016

X G 0001/16 (Disclaimer III) of 18.12.2017

General Case Law

X J 0010/08 (Retraction of withdrawal/BACTERIN) of 16.11.2009

X R 0014/12 (Petition for review/Hydro-QuÃ©bec-) of 25.10.2013

X R 0002/16 (Antrag auf ÃberprÃ¼fung) of 28.10.2016

X T 0440/04 (Vitreous fibres I/ROCKWOOL) of 26.11.2008

X T 1319/04 (Dosage regimen/KOS LIFE SCIENCES, INC.) of 22.4.2008

X T 0019/05 (Tannin concentration/PRORAS) of 15.2.2012

X T 0221/05 (Halogen exchange reactions/ALBEMARLE) of 24.6.2008

X T 0259/05 (AcrylsÃ¤ureherstellung/BASF) of 26.3.2009

X T 0601/05 (Anti-TNF alpha human monoclonal antibodies/BAYER III) of 2.12.2009

X T 0607/05 (Nucleic Acids/AFFYMETRIX) of 10.9.2008