EPO分割案

歐洲專利組織的行政會議中決定，在規定期限內，同意申請人能主動提出分割案（divisional application），目前規定是在母案審理期間（pending）任何時間內可提出分割案

一般來說，分割申請案是針對「單一性」核駁時的措施，此稱為mandatory divisional application，應於得到官方OA後24個月內提出。

自2010年4月1日起，申請人可於母案（或較早申請案）得到EPO第一次OA後兩年內自行提出分割案，此稱為voluntary divisional application。

相關修法條文：
1. Rule 36 (1) and (2) shall be amended to read as follows:
"(1) The applicant may file a divisional application relating to any pending earlier European patent application, provided that:
(a) the divisional application is filed before the expiry of a time limit of twenty-four months from the Examining Division's first communication in respect of the earliest application for which a communication has been issued, or
(b) the divisional application is filed before the expiry of a time limit of twenty-four months from any communication in which the Examining Division has objected that the earlier application does not meet the requirements of Article 82, provided it was raising that specific objection for the first time.
(2) A divisional application shall be filed in the language of the proceedings for the earlier application. If the latter was not in an official language of the European Patent Office, the divisional application may be filed in the language of the earlier application; a translation into the language of the proceedings for the earlier application shall then be filed within two months of the filing of the divisional application. The divisional application shall be filed with the European Patent Office in Munich, The Hague or Berlin."
分割案可以前案語言提出，若以非官方語言提出，應於分割案提出後兩個月內提出譯文
分割案受理局為慕尼黑、海牙或柏林

Ron