The European Patent Office is responsible for the examination, authorization and objection of European patents. The maintenance, exercise and protection of European patents, as well as requiring others to declare European patents invalid, are all carried out by designated countries in accordance with their own patent laws.
The European patent application review process is: 1, and the application is filed; 2. search; 3. Publish the patent application; 4. Make a request for substantive examination and conduct substantive examination; 5. European patent authorization (if any); 6. Objections (if any); 7. Entry into force (if any).
After a European patent is granted, there is usually a 9-month objection period, allowing a third party to object to the authorization of the patent. If no objection is raised at the objection stage, or the objection procedure has ended, all issues related to this European patent shall be handled by the Patent Office of the country in force.
Generally, after receiving the notification of authorization, the applicant needs to decide to choose the effective country from the list of designated countries and inform the European Patent Office in which countries the patent will take effect.
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