欧州特許条約（ＥＰＣ）：優先権の主張
EPC2000（EPC改正条約：2007年12月13日に施行）により条文が（位置などを含めて）かなり変わったので、復習の意味を込めて目を通しておく。
European Patent Convention (EPC)
Rule 52
Declaration of priority
優先権の主張
(1) The declaration of priority referred to in Article 88, paragraph 1, shall indicate the date of the previous filing, the State party to the Paris Convention or Member of the World Trade Organization in or for which it was made and the file number. In the case referred to in Article 87, paragraph 5, the first sentence shall apply mutatis mutandis.
ＥＰＣ出願において優先権主張を行なうためには、出願日、出願がなされたパリ同盟国またはＷＴＯ加盟国の国名、および出願番号の特定が必要。
(2) The declaration of priority shall preferably be made on filing the European patent application. It may still be made within sixteen months from the earliest priority date claimed.
優先権主張は、「好ましくは」ＥＰＣ出願時に行なう。
最先の出願日より１６か月以内であれば、優先権の主張は可能である。
(3) The applicant may correct the declaration of priority within sixteen months from the earliest priority date claimed, or, where the correction would cause a change in the earliest priority date claimed, within sixteen months from the corrected earliest priority date, whichever sixteen-month period expires first, provided that such a correction may be submitted until the expiry of four months from the date of filing accorded to the European patent application.
(4) However, a declaration of priority may not be made or corrected after a request under Article 93, paragraph 1(b), has been filed.
一定要件の下に、優先権主張の訂正が認められる。
(5) The particulars of the declaration of priority shall appear in the published European patent application and the European patent specification.
優先権の主張については、公開公報、公開特許明細書に記載される。
[弁理士TY]
