歐洲專利檢索後的修正筆記

筆記

先提到歐洲專利修正的時機：

接收到歐洲檢索報告（search report）前不能修正

提出補充檢索報告請求時可以提出修正（這針對PCT進入EP的案子）

接收到歐洲檢索報告後可以修正

接收到歐洲審查意見（first/second ... Communication）後，申請人可提出修正

再是本次筆記關心的修正規定。

歐洲專利修正規定這裡討論很多，本篇直接引用歐洲審查指南的Part H「修正與校正（Amendments and Corrections）」中「檢索報告後的修正」規定（收到檢索報告前不得修正）：

2.2 After receipt of the search report - Rule 137(2)
After receiving the European search report and the search opinion, the applicant must respond to the search opinion (see B-XI, 8) and may, in his reply and of his own volition, amend the description, claims and drawings (see C-II, 3 and subparagraphs, and C-III, 3.2). Likewise, for applications for which no supplementary European search report is prepared (see B-II, 4.3) when entering the European phase from the PCT, the applicant is required to respond to the WO-ISA, IPER or SISR
where the ISA and, if applicable, the IPEA or SISA was the EPO (see E-VIII, 3.1 and 3.2). This response to the WO-ISA, IPER or SISR may include amendments made by the applicant of his own volition to the description, claims and drawings. Thereafter, the applicant may amend the application only with the consent of the Examining Division.

此段規定申請人有義務回應歐洲專利局提出的檢索報告（包括PCT進入EP的申請案補充檢索報告），包括可以提出說明書、請求項與圖式修正，而審查部門決定是否同意修正。

修正細則在Rule 137：

Rule 137
Amendment of the European patent application

(1)

Before receiving the European search report, the applicant may not amend the description, claims or drawings of a European patent application unless otherwise provided. 

(2)

Together with any comments, corrections or amendments made in response to communications by the European Patent Office under Rule 70a, paragraph 1 or 2, or Rule 161, paragraph 1, the applicant may amend the description, claims and drawings of his own volition.

(3)

No further amendment may be made without the consent of the Examining Division. 

(4)

When filing any amendments referred to in paragraphs 1 to 3, the applicant shall identify them and indicate the basis for them in the application as filed. If the Examining Division notes a failure to meet either requirement, it may request the correction of this deficiency within a period of one month.

(5)

Amended claims may not relate to unsearched subject-matter which does not combine with the originally claimed invention or group of inventions to form a single general inventive concept. Nor may they relate to subject-matter not searched in accordance with Rule 62a or Rule 63.

收到檢索報告前，一般情況下不得修正；收到審查意見後，即可提出修正；審查委員不同意就不能修正；修正版本應指出修正的依據，比如根據圖式第幾圖、說明書第幾頁等等，如果不符規定，專利局將提出補正要求（一個月內）；修正請求項範圍不能關於「幾種情況下未檢索」的標的，這些標的並未與原請求項範圍結合而形成在一個廣義發明概念下的發明。

修正必須指出依據的範例：
EP1676234

EP2329349

4.2 In examination proceedings
The question of allowability of amendments is legally a question of whether the application as so amended is allowable. An amended application must of course satisfy all the requirements of the EPC including, in particular, inventive step and the other matters listed in B-XI, 3.6 (see also C-III, 2). Also, however, especially when the claims have been substantially limited, the examiner should bear in mind that the following questions may require special consideration at the amendment stage.

(i) Unity of invention
Do the amended claims still satisfy the requirements of Art. 82? If the search report seems to reveal lack of novelty or inventive step in the concept common to all the claims, but the amended claims do not necessitate further search, the examiner should consider carefully whether an objection of lack of unity is justified at this stage of the proceedings (see F-V, 8). If, however, the claims lack a common inventive concept and a further search is necessary, objection should be raised.

(ii) Agreement of description and claims
If the claims have been amended, will the description require corresponding amendment to remove serious inconsistency between them? For example, is every embodiment of the invention described still within the scope of one or more claims? (see F-IV, 4.3). Conversely, are all of the amended claims supported by the description? (see F-IV, 6). Also, if the categories of claims have been altered, will the title require corresponding amendment (see H-V, 8)?

審查時，檢索報告可能反映出新穎性與進步性的議題，而面對新穎性與進步性的修正不得引起進一步檢索（這是主要要注意的規定），並需要考量是否符合單一性，如果有違反規定的問題，將提出核駁意見。修正後，應注意是否說明書、請求項、名稱需要對應修正，包括檢視是否被說明書支持。

Ron