Obtaining a European patent: the main stages of the procedure

The European patent is an industrial property title granted following a procedure governed by the European Patent Convention (EPC), which takes place before the European Patent Office (EPO).

Obtaining a European patent involves complying with a complex administrative procedure governed by the European Patent Convention, which takes place before the European Patent Office.

As complex as it is, this procedure can be systematized into eight major stages that provide an overview.