- EPO concludes working agreement on search co-operation with Slovenian Intellectual Property Office (SIPO)
- EPO Form 1201 ("Entry into the European phase") discontinued as of 1 November 2023
- A celebration of Francophone Africa?s innovators
- Use of EPO learning resources increasing among Europe?s universities
- New dashboard reveals demand for Unitary Patents
- Growth in online services: over 7 000 using EPO Mailbox
What is a Patentable Invention?
European Patent Laws do not normally define an invention in positive terms; they rather exclude certain matters as not being an invention or as not being patentable.
Briefly though, it is considered that an invention consists in a solution to a technical problem.
In order to be patentable, the invention (in any field of technology, including chemistry, biotechnology, electronics, mechanics etc.) needs to be novel, to involve an inventive step and to be susceptible of industrial application.