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今年の４月１日からＥＰＣの規則改正が施行されています。
詳細な内容は、ここ（日本語）にあります。
重要な変更は２つです。
・EESR（拡張サーチレポート）への応答義務化
　従来は、EESRが来ても特に応答する義務が有りませんでしたが、改正後は、サーチレポートの公開から６ヶ月以内に応答する義務があります。応答しなければ、出願がみなし取下げとなりますので、注意が必要です。
審査請求期限と同じですので、通常は、審査請求と同時に応答書の提出すればいいでしょう。
条文上の根拠は、以下の通りです。
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 The request may not be withdrawn.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the applicant fails to reply in due time to the invitation under paragraph 2, the application shall be deemed to be withdrawn.
Rule 70a　Response to the extended European search report
(1) In the opinion accompanying the European search report the European Patent Office shall give the applicant the opportunity to comment on the extended European search report and, where appropriate, invite him to correct any deficiencies noted in the opinion accompanying the European search report and to amend the description, claims and drawings within the period referred to in Rule 70, paragraph 1.
(2) In the case referred to in Rule 70, paragraph 2, or if a supplementary European search report is drawn up on a Euro-PCT-application, the European Patent Office shall give the applicant the opportunity to comment on the extended European search report and, where appropriate, invite him to correct any deficiencies noted in the opinion accompanying the European search report and to amend the description, claims and drawings within the period specified for indicating whether he wishes to proceed further with the application.
(3) If the applicant neither complies with nor comments on an invitation in accordance with paragraph 1 or 2, the application shall be deemed to be withdrawn.
・分割出願の時期的制限
分割出願の時期的要件が、最初の拒絶理由通知から２４ヶ月か、単一性違反の指摘の通知から２４ヶ月のうちの早い方までに制限されます。過去の案件についても適用されますが、９月３０日以前に２４ヶ月の期限が来るものについては９月３０日が期限になります。従って、過去のＥＰ出願について今のうちに分割出願をしておくべきものがないか、検討する必要があります。
条文上の根拠は、以下の通りです。
Rule 36 European divisional applications
(1) The applicant may file a divisional application relating to any pending earlier European patent application, provided that:
(a) the divisional application is filed before the expiry of a time limit of twenty-four months from the Examining Division’s first communication in respect of the earliest application for which a communication has been issued, or
(b) the divisional application is filed before the expiry of a time limit of twenty-four months from any communication in which the Examining Division has objected that the earlier application does not meet the requirements of Article 82, provided it was raising that specific objection for the first time.
EESRへの応答義務化にすいてのEPOの公式解説は、ここにあります。
分割出願についてのEPOの公式解説は、ここにあります。
分割出願の期限は、１０月１日より前には到来しない点について以下のように記載されています。
If the relevant time limits are still running on 1 April 2010, they will continue to do
so for not less than six months. In other words, for any applications pending on
1 April 2010 and on which a first communication from the examining division has
been issued or a non-unity objection has been (subsequently) raised, so that the
time limits are still running on that date, the time limit will not expire before
1 October 2010.