GA C5.8 5.8 | XEPC: EPC and PCT resource

Designations, extensions and validations

5.8.001

A (flat) designation fee must be paid within 31 months from the filing date or, if priority has been claimed, the earliest priority date, or within six months from the date of publication of the ISR, whichever time limit expires later. Therefore, unless the publication of the ISR was considerably delayed, the designation fee must be paid within the 31-month time limit.

Art. 21 PCT

R. 48 PCT

Art. 79(2), 153(6) EPC

R. 39, 159(1)(d) EPC

Art. 2(1)3 RFees

OJ 2009, 118

GL/EPO A‑III, 11.2.5; E‑IX, 2.1.4, 2.3.11

5.8.002

Payment of the designation fee will be effective only in respect of EPC contracting states that were designated for a European patent in the international application on the international filing date (see point 2.10.001).

5.8.003

Applicants are reminded that upon filing of the PCT request all PCT contracting states are automatically designated for both a national and, where applicable, a regional patent. Therefore, payment of the (flat) designation fee on entry into the European phase confirms the designation of the EPC contracting states that were EPC and PCT contracting states at the international filing date (see point 2.10.002). An exception applies where the applicant has withdrawn the designation for a European patent in respect of one or more EPC contracting states during the international phase.

5.8.004

If a state for which patent protection is sought was neither an EPC contracting state nor an extension or validation state at the international filing date (see point 5.8.009), the applicant must enter the national phase in the state concerned to obtain patent protection for that state on the basis of his international application. If, however, before entry into force of the EPC for a state an extension or validation agreement with that state was in force, for any application filed before the related extension agreement was terminated (see point 2.11.005), patent protection in that state may still be obtained via the European procedure on the basis of the extension or validation agreement.

What happens if the time limit for payment of the designation fee is not observed?

How can the Euro-PCT application be extended or validated (Form 1200, Section 11)?

What happens if the time limit for payment of extension fees is not observed?

What happens if the time limit for payment of validation fees is not observed?

Source: http://www.epo.org/applying/international/guide-for-applicants/html/e/ga_c5_8.html

Date retrieved: 17 May 2021