Highlights of the European Patent Convention
The EPO was established in Munich in 1973 by the Convention of the Grant of European Patents, thereafter known as the EPC. The EPO, which has 28 member states, comprises the legislative body, i.e. the administrative council, and the executive body, i.e. the EPO.
The EPC offers a system of intergovernmental cooperation, thereby making it possible for any legal person to file a single patent application in one of three official languages (English, French and German), and to obtain a patent with effect in one, several or all of the contracting states.
Furthermore, the term, scope of protection and grounds of revocation are the same for all contracting states, thereby providing harmonisation of protection and facilitating maintenance of the patent in the different states.
Every European patent is a strong patent since the specifications of the invention listed in the application would have undergone substantive examination in regard to novelty, inventive step and industrial applicability
Malta’s situation
Although the EPO is a totally independent and separate entity from the European Union, Malta’s EPC membership is a natural follow-up to its EU accession.
Malta has already gained a strong foothold within Europe and EPC accession will serve to further fortify Malta’s recognition as a country with much to offer within Europe.
The Commerce Division, in particular the Industrial Property Registrations Directorate within this division, is paving the way towards EPC accession In fact, negotiations for EPC accession have been initiated and it is
expected that by the second half of this year Malta will be an EPC member.
This same directorate is also doing its utmost to strengthen the operational aspects of patent registration – appropriate staff with a technical background are being engaged with this office while preparations for the implementation of a computerised patent system, also through the assistance of the EPO, are also under way
For more information and seminar bookings contact the Industrial Property Office on 25690-224/339 or email [email protected]