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Prior Art Search (and Examination) in the Pharmaceutical Field at the EPO

Anna Maria Villa Riva Rome 4-5 December 2013

Legal Provisions the EPC

bull Art 52 Patentable inventions(1) European patents shall be granted for any inventions in all fields of

technology provided that they are new involve an inventive step and are susceptible of industrial application

(2) The following in particular shall not be regarded as inventions within the meaning of paragraph 1(a) discoveries scientific theories and mathematical methods(b) aesthetic creations(c) schemes rules and methods for performing mental acts playing

games or doing business and programs for computers(d) presentations of information

(3) Paragraph 2 shall exclude the patentability of the subject-matter or activities referred to therein only to the extent to which a European patent application or European patent relates to such subject-matter or

activities as such

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Legal Provisions

bull Art 54(1)-(3) CBE - novelty

bull Art 56 CBE - inventive step

bull Art 83 CBE - sufficient disclosure

bull Art 53(c) 54(4)-(5) EPC - therapeutic surgical diagnostic methods

Search Types

bull European Patent Applications

bull International Applications

bull National (also Italian ) Applications

Every Search is issued with a preliminary opinion on the patentability

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DocumentationInternal Databases

bull Patent LiteratureEPODOC WPI Fulltext Databases

bull Non Patent LiteratureINSPEC COMPENDEX IEEEMEDLINE BIOSIS EMBASEBEILSTEIN and many more

Documentation

External Databases

bull Non Patent Literature (mainly)

STN ndash Chemical AbstractsEBI and many more

Internet

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Search Components1 Classificationbull Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC)

httpwwwepoorgnews-issuesnews201120111025htmlhttpwwwcooperativepatentclassificationorgindexhtmljsessionid=1ky0izib9dm03

bull International Patent Classification httpwwwwipointclassificationsipcen

2 Keywords3 Field-specific Elements

(pes registry numbers sequence listings )

Search Components - the Search Table

Search Concepts

CPC IPC other relevant parameters

paracetamol A61K31167 A61K31167 RN 103-90-2

injectable form A61K90019 A61K90021

A61K908 A61K910

cancer A61P3500

OR

AN

D

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Legal Provisions

bull Art 54(1)-(3) CBE - novelty

bull Art 56 CBE - inventive step

bull Art 83 CBE - sufficient disclosure

bull Art 53(c) 54(4)-(5) EPC - therapeutic surgical diagnostic methods

Search Types

bull European Patent Applications

bull International Applications

bull National (also Italian ) Applications

Every Search is issued with a preliminary opinion on the patentability

21-11-2013

3

DocumentationInternal Databases

bull Patent LiteratureEPODOC WPI Fulltext Databases

bull Non Patent LiteratureINSPEC COMPENDEX IEEEMEDLINE BIOSIS EMBASEBEILSTEIN and many more

Documentation

External Databases

bull Non Patent Literature (mainly)

STN ndash Chemical AbstractsEBI and many more

Internet

21-11-2013

4

Search Components1 Classificationbull Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC)

httpwwwepoorgnews-issuesnews201120111025htmlhttpwwwcooperativepatentclassificationorgindexhtmljsessionid=1ky0izib9dm03

bull International Patent Classification httpwwwwipointclassificationsipcen

2 Keywords3 Field-specific Elements

(pes registry numbers sequence listings )

Search Components - the Search Table

Search Concepts

CPC IPC other relevant parameters

paracetamol A61K31167 A61K31167 RN 103-90-2

injectable form A61K90019 A61K90021

A61K908 A61K910

cancer A61P3500

OR

AN

D

21-11-2013

3

DocumentationInternal Databases

bull Patent LiteratureEPODOC WPI Fulltext Databases

bull Non Patent LiteratureINSPEC COMPENDEX IEEEMEDLINE BIOSIS EMBASEBEILSTEIN and many more

Documentation

External Databases

bull Non Patent Literature (mainly)

STN ndash Chemical AbstractsEBI and many more

Internet

21-11-2013

4

Search Components1 Classificationbull Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC)

httpwwwepoorgnews-issuesnews201120111025htmlhttpwwwcooperativepatentclassificationorgindexhtmljsessionid=1ky0izib9dm03

bull International Patent Classification httpwwwwipointclassificationsipcen

2 Keywords3 Field-specific Elements

(pes registry numbers sequence listings )

Search Components - the Search Table

Search Concepts

CPC IPC other relevant parameters

paracetamol A61K31167 A61K31167 RN 103-90-2

injectable form A61K90019 A61K90021

A61K908 A61K910

cancer A61P3500

OR

AN

D

21-11-2013

4

Search Components1 Classificationbull Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC)

httpwwwepoorgnews-issuesnews201120111025htmlhttpwwwcooperativepatentclassificationorgindexhtmljsessionid=1ky0izib9dm03

bull International Patent Classification httpwwwwipointclassificationsipcen

2 Keywords3 Field-specific Elements

(pes registry numbers sequence listings )

Search Components - the Search Table

Search Concepts

CPC IPC other relevant parameters

paracetamol A61K31167 A61K31167 RN 103-90-2

injectable form A61K90019 A61K90021

A61K908 A61K910

cancer A61P3500

OR

AN

D

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Tools Viewer

The European Search Report

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Thank you for your attention

httpwwwepoorg

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Thank you for your attention

httpwwwepoorg