What is the role of the European Patent Office? Can the European Patent Office apply for a patent?

What is the role of the European Patent Office? Can the European Patent Office apply for a patent? We may know more about domestic patent applications, but we may not know much about foreign patent applications. In fact, the EPO patent application is the so-called European patent application; The importance of European patent application must be made clear, because European patent application can apply for multinational patents for most patentees and is protected in many countries. What is the role of the European Patent Office? The European Patent Office (EPO) is an intergovernmental organization formally established on June 7, 1977 in accordance with the European Patent Convention. Its main function is to be responsible for patent approval in Europe. In 20 17, China was among the top five applicants in the European patent office for the first time; ; The organization of the European Patent Office is divided into five levels, namely, bureau, headquarters, department, department and section. The bureau has 1 director and 5 deputy directors. There are five headquarters-level institutions in the world, and each deputy director is also the head of a headquarters. A European patent application can designate multiple countries for protection. A European patent can enjoy the same effect as a national patent in any or all member States. In this case, it can simplify the procedures of filing patent applications in many countries, save costs and facilitate applicants; European patents are examined and approved in accordance with uniform laws. It will not cause different consequences because of the different procedures and examination requirements of patent laws in different countries, giving the applicant a sense of security; In fact, the European Patent Office is one of the most powerful and modern patent offices in the world, with the most complete patent literature resources in the world. Therefore, it is a good method for the patentee to refer to relevant patent documents. Through patent search, they can understand the advantages and disadvantages of their own patents and provide the best patent reference for patentees to search patents comprehensively. With the formation of relevant international treaty organizations, patentees can choose more national patent applications such as pct applications.