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Thursday, February 02, 2006

Entry into Force of EPC2000.

Mr. Michael Ralph of

CIPA gives an important

hint concerning

EPC2000:

"Greece deposited its instrument of ratification of EPC 2000 on 13 December 2005. As this was the fifteenth Contracting State to ratify the Convention, this will enter into force two years after that date, or three months after the ratification by the last Contracting State, if earlier.

16 Contracting States have yet to ratify and have only two years in which to do so, or according to Article 172(4) EPC they will cease to be party to the EPC as from that time.

The list of Contracting States and their ratification status may be checked at http://patlaw-reform.european-patent-office.org/epc2000/status/ [...]"

So, Germany appears to have two years time starting with December 13, 2005, for ratifying EPC2000 or she will automatically cease to be party to that treaty.

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