Abstract

Retrieving relevant prior art from the Internet has become an important aspect of the search procedure at the European Patent Office, concerning all fields of technology. This article offers not only an overview of the tools available to the examiners, but also a detailed insight of the potentiality of such on-line searching for applicants and representatives, for efficiently identifying and retrieving pertinent documents by means of the existing search tools. Further, particular legal aspects in relation to Internet citations are presented, in the light of some decisions of the Technical Board of Appeal, with emphasis given to the issues related to the date of availability to the public of an Internet disclosure, its conformance and its possibly non-prejudicial nature.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.