「２つの出願ルートによる欧州特許出願の手続の比較（２）」
（「２つの出願ルートによる欧州特許出願の手続の比較（１）」の続き）
４．欧州特許庁に直接出願するルートの場合の出願後から審査開始までの手続き
・出願日が認定された欧州特許出願は、欧州調査報告が発行される（ＥＰＣ９２条）。出願から欧州調査報告の発行まで出願人は補正をすることができないので（規則１３７（１））、この調査は出願時のクレームに対してなされる。
Article 92
Drawing up of the European search report
The European Patent Office shall, in accordance with the Implementing Regulations, draw up and publish a European search report in respect of the European patent application on the basis of the claims, with due regard to the description and any drawings.
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.
・欧州特許出願は、出願人からの公開の請求があった場合を除き、優先日から１８ヶ月経過後に公開される（ＥＰＣ９３条（１））。公開の技術的な準備の前に欧州調査報告が作成されていれば、公開には欧州調査報告も含まれる（施行規則６８（１））。
Article 93
Publication of the European patent application
(1) The European Patent Office shall publish the European patent application as soon as possible
(a) after the expiry of a period of eighteen months from the date of filing or, if priority has been claimed, from the date of priority, or
(b) at the request of the applicant, before the expiry of that period.
Rule 68
Form of the publication of European patent applications and European search reports
(1) The publication of the European patent application shall contain the description, the claims and any drawings as filed, and the abstract, or, if these documents making up the application were not filed in an official language of the European Patent Office, a translation in the language of the proceedings, and, in an annex, the European search report, where it is available before the termination of the technical preparations for publication. If the search report or the abstract is not published at the same time as the application, it shall be published separately.
・欧州特許公報が欧州調査報告の公開に言及した日後６ヶ月以内に、出願人は審査請求を行うことができる（施行規則７０（１））。欧州調査報告が出願人に送付される前に審査請求がなされている場合には、所定期間内に権利化手続を進めるか否かを示す機会が与えられ、欧州調査報告に対し意見を述べ、必要であればクレーム等を補正する機会が与えられる（施行規則７０（２））。期限内に出願人が応答しなかった場合には、出願が取り下げられたものと見なされる（施行規則７０条（３））。
Rule 70
Request for examination
(1) The applicant may request examination of the European patent application up to six months after the date on which the European Patent Bulletin mentions the publication of the European search report. The request may not be withdrawn.
(2) If the request for examination has been filed before the European search report has been transmitted to the applicant, the European Patent Office shall invite the applicant to indicate, within a period to be specified, whether he wishes to proceed further with the application, and shall give him the opportunity to comment on the search report and to amend, where appropriate, the description, claims and drawings.
(3) If the applicant fails to reply in due time to the invitation under paragraph 2, the application shall be deemed to be withdrawn.
５．ＰＣＴ出願を欧州へ移行するルートの場合の移行後から審査開始までの手続き
・ＰＣＴ出願がＥＰＣの公式言語以外の言語で公開されて、かつＥＰＣの公式言語による翻訳文が提出されると、出願の翻訳文は公開される（ＥＰＣ１５３条（４））。
Article 153
The European Patent Office as designated Office or elected Office
(4) If the Euro-PCT application is published in another language, a translation into one of the official languages shall be filed with the European Patent Office, which shall publish it. Subject to Article 67, paragraph 3, the provisional protection under Article 67, paragraphs 1 and 2, shall be effective from the date of that publication.
・ＰＣＴ出願に関して作成された国際調査報告が欧州調査報告を置き換える（ＥＰＣ１５３条（６）。欧州特許庁等などが国際調査報告を作成した出願以外については、国際調査報告の他に欧州特許庁が補助的に調査を行い、補助欧州調査報告が作成される（ＥＰＣ１５３条（７））。欧州移行後の通知から１ヶ月以内に補正をした場合には、この調査は補正後のクレームに対してなされる（施行規則１６１）。補助欧州調査報告の調査料は、日本特許庁が国際調査機関である等の一定の条件を満たす場合に減額される（審査基準Ａ－ＸＩ ９．３．１）。
Article 153
The European Patent Office as designated Office or elected Office
(6) The international search report drawn up in respect of a Euro-PCT application or the declaration replacing it, and their international publication, shall take the place of the European search report and the mention of its publication in the European Patent Bulletin.
(7) A supplementary European search report shall be drawn up in respect of any Euro-PCT application under paragraph 5. The Administrative Council may decide that the supplementary search report is to be dispensed with or that the search fee is to be reduced.
Rule 161
Amendment of the application
Without prejudice to Rule 137, paragraphs 2 to 4, the application may be amended once, within one month from a communication informing the applicant accordingly. The application as amended shall serve as the basis for any supplementary search which has to be performed under Article 153, paragraph 7.
Guidelines for Examination
A-XI 9.3.1 Reduction of the search fee for a supplementary European search
The search fee for a supplementary European search report is reduced for PCT applications for which the Patent Office of the USA, Japan, China, Australia, Russia or Korea was the International Searching Authority (see OJ 9/1979, 368; OJ 1/1981, 5; OJ 1-2/1994, 6; OJ 7/2000, 321). In these cases, the supplementary search fee is reduced by 20%, but only if the International application has an International filing date before 1 July 2005 (OJ 11/2005, 548, OJ 11/2005, 577, OJ 3/2006, 192). If the application has an International filing date on or after 1 July 2005, then the fee is reduced by a fixed amount (see OJ 3/2006, 192 and OJ 11/2005, 548).
・補助欧州特許公開が欧州調査報告の公開に言及した日から所定期間内に、権利化手続を進めるか否かを示す機会が与えられ、欧州調査報告に対し意見を述べ、必要であればクレーム等を補正する機会が与えられる（施行規則７０（２））。期限内に出願人が応答しなかった場合には、出願が取り下げられたものと見なされる（施行規則７０条（３））。
Rule 70
Request for examination
(1) The applicant may request examination of the European patent application up to six months after the date on which the European Patent Bulletin mentions the publication of the European search report. The request may not be withdrawn.
(2) If the request for examination has been filed before the European search report has been transmitted to the applicant, the European Patent Office shall invite the applicant to indicate, within a period to be specified, whether he wishes to proceed further with the application, and shall give him the opportunity to comment on the search report and to amend, where appropriate, the description, claims and drawings.
(3) If the applicant fails to reply in due time to the invitation under paragraph 2, the application shall be deemed to be withdrawn.
６．２つの出願ルートの相違点
・欧州特許庁に直接出願した場合には欧州調査報告が発行されるのに対し、ＰＣＴ出願を欧州へ移行するルートの場合であって、欧州特許庁等などが国際調査報告を作成していない場合には、国際調査報告に加えて欧州特許庁が補助的に先行技術調査を行い、補助欧州調査報告が発行される。
・欧州特許庁に直接出願した場合、欧州調査報告は出願時のクレームに対して作成されるのに対し、ＰＣＴ出願を欧州へ移行するルートの場合、欧州移行後の通知から１ヶ月以内に補正をすることができ、補正した場合には、補助欧州調査報告は補正後のクレームに対して作成される。
・ＰＣＴ出願を欧州へ移行するルートの場合、通常、欧州への移行の際に審査請求が既に行われているので、欧州特許公開が欧州調査報告の公開に言及した日から所定期間内に、権利化手続を進める意志があるか否かを示す必要がある。なお、所定の手続きによりこの意志確認の手続きを省略することが可能である（審査基準Ｃ－ＶＩ １．１．２）。
Guidelines for Examination
C-VI 1.1.2 Acceleration of examination procedure
Where the applicant files a request for examination before the search report is transmitted to him, he may also dispense with the need to comply with the invitation pursuant to Rule 70(2), and file a categorical request for examination whatever the result of the search may be, by which the procedure can also be accelerated (see Notice from the EPO dated 14 July 2007, Special edition No. 3, OJ EPO 2007, F.1). In this case, confirmation that he desires to proceed further with his application is deemed to be given when the search report is transmitted to him, so that in accordance with Rule 62(1) the search report is not accompanied by a search opinion. Under these circumstances, if the application is not in order for grant, a communication under Art. 94(3) and Rule 71(1) and (2) is transmitted to the applicant. If the application is in order for grant, the subsequent procedure will depend on whether or not it is possible at that time to carry out the search for conflicting European applications according to Art. 54(3) (see VI, 8.1 and B-XII, 8). If that search can be carried out, and assuming that it does not identify any conflicting applications, then the communication under Rule 71(3) is transmitted to the applicant. If it cannot yet be carried out, then the communication from the examining division will be postponed until the said search is completed and the applicant will be informed accordingly. If the European patent application is subsequently withdrawn before the substantive examination has begun, 75% of the examination fee will be refunded. For other ways of accelerating the European grant procedure, e.g. under the PACE programme, see E-VIII, 3.
椿特許事務所
弁理士ＩＴ
