Grant procedure before the European Patent Office
When someone invents something and wants to protect it in Europe, they can apply for something called a European patent. This is a special agreement that gives the inventor exclusive rights to their invention in several European countries.
To get a European patent, the inventor needs to apply to something called the European Patent Office (EPO). The EPO is like a big office where lots of people work to make sure that only the best and most innovative inventions get patents.
When the inventor sends their application to the EPO, they check to see if it's complete and that everything is in order. This is important because they want to make sure that someone who doesn't deserve a patent doesn't get one by mistake.
If everything is okay, the EPO then starts to examine the invention to see if it's new, inventive, and useful. They want to make sure that it's not just something that's already been invented before. This part can take a while because the EPO wants to make sure they get it right.
If the EPO decides that the invention meets all the requirements, they will grant the patent to the inventor. This means that the inventor now has exclusive rights to their invention in several European countries for a certain number of years.
However, getting a European patent isn't always easy. The EPO can deny the application or ask for more information or changes. This can be frustrating for the inventor, but it's all part of the process to make sure that only the best inventions get patents.
So, to sum it up: applying for a European patent is like asking the EPO for permission to protect your invention in several European countries. The EPO checks to make sure it's new and innovative, and if it is, they grant the inventor exclusive rights to their invention in several European countries.
To get a European patent, the inventor needs to apply to something called the European Patent Office (EPO). The EPO is like a big office where lots of people work to make sure that only the best and most innovative inventions get patents.
When the inventor sends their application to the EPO, they check to see if it's complete and that everything is in order. This is important because they want to make sure that someone who doesn't deserve a patent doesn't get one by mistake.
If everything is okay, the EPO then starts to examine the invention to see if it's new, inventive, and useful. They want to make sure that it's not just something that's already been invented before. This part can take a while because the EPO wants to make sure they get it right.
If the EPO decides that the invention meets all the requirements, they will grant the patent to the inventor. This means that the inventor now has exclusive rights to their invention in several European countries for a certain number of years.
However, getting a European patent isn't always easy. The EPO can deny the application or ask for more information or changes. This can be frustrating for the inventor, but it's all part of the process to make sure that only the best inventions get patents.
So, to sum it up: applying for a European patent is like asking the EPO for permission to protect your invention in several European countries. The EPO checks to make sure it's new and innovative, and if it is, they grant the inventor exclusive rights to their invention in several European countries.