The book, Visser’s Annotated European Patent Convention, is a commentary on the European Patent Convention and a bestseller in European patent law. The 2024 edition of this preeminent work – the only regularly updated authoritative article-by-article commentary in English on the European Patent Convention (EPC), its implementing regulations, and associated case law provides the complete text of the law annotated with commentary and expert guidance on the interpretation of each paragraph. Since its first edition in 1994 it has provided the European patent community with the necessary insights to practice successfully before the European Patent Office. The EPO recommends the Visser’s Annotated European Patent Convention as the first book in its list of non-EPO/WIPO literature to be used for the preparation of the European qualifying examination. In addition to a thorough updating of developments, new material in the 2024 edition includes the following: • Amendments to the Implementing Regulations that come into force on 01.04.2024, and comments on them. • Amended EPO Guidelines that entered into force on 01.03.2024 • Recent decisions of the boards of appeal The 2024 edition is suitable for candidates preparing for the EQE 2025 (new foundation paper F and main examination under the current EQE regulation).

The book, Visser’s Annotated European Patent Convention, is a commentary on the European Patent Convention and a bestseller in European patent law. The 2021 edition of this preeminent work – the only regularly updated authoritative article-by-article commentary in English on the European Patent Convention (EPC), its implementing regulations, and associated case law provides the complete text of the law annotated with commentary and expert guidance on the interpretation of each paragraph. Since its first edition in 1994 it has provided the European patent community with the necessary insights to practice successfully before the European Patent Office. The EPO recommends the Visser’s Annotated European Patent Convention as the first book in its list of non-EPO/WIPO literature to be used for the preparation of the European qualifying examination. In addition to a thorough updating of developments, new material in the 2021 edition includes the following: Amended EPO Guidelines that entered into force on 01.03.2021 Consolidated discussion of procedures relating to oral proceedings held by video conference Commentary on recent amendments to the implementing regulations Recent decisions of the boards of appeal The 2021 edition is suitable for candidates preparing for the EQE 2022. A free supplemental note will be published providing candidates with an overview of the main legal changes between the 2021 edition and the 31.10.2021 legal cut-off date for the EQE 2022.

Many applicants use the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) system as a first step to obtain patent protection for their inventions in a large number of countries. This practice-oriented book on the PCT – the only such book available – provides expert guidance on how to carry out the treaty’s procedures, from filing a single international patent application to starting prosecution before a plurality of national Offices. Building from an authoritative overview of the PCT’s sources and how they link to form the legal basis for a complete procedure, the contributors elucidate such invaluable practical details as the following: complete details on filing under the PCT, including the means of filing, fee payments, and priority, both in general and in specific national patent Offices; strategy points for making decisions on options in procedures and for drawing attention to important issues; citations from the Practical Advices published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO); differences between several regional and national Offices, such as the EPO and the USPTO; extensive treatment of remedies available in each procedure; guidance through the PCT – Patent Prosecution Highway (PCT-PPH); and extensive linking to international and national resources for the PCT. The authors include legal experts from WIPO and the European Patent Office (EPO), as well as well-known patent law practitioners. With its wealth of guidance ranging from a broad introduction to specific details of procedural strategy, this book will be of immeasurable value in the day-to-day practice of patent attorneys, corporate counsel, and paralegals worldwide. It will be of great use to candidates preparing for exams where a profound knowledge of the PCT is required.

The book, Visser’s Annotated European Patent Convention, is a commentary on the European Patent Convention and a bestseller in European patent law. The 2023 edition of this preeminent work – the only regularly updated authoritative article-by-article commentary in English on the European Patent Convention (EPC), its implementing regulations, and associated case law provides the complete text of the law annotated with commentary and expert guidance on the interpretation of each paragraph. Since its first edition in 1994 it has provided the European patent community with the necessary insights to practice successfully before the European Patent Office. The EPO recommends the Visser’s Annotated European Patent Convention as the first book in its list of non-EPO/WIPO literature to be used for the preparation of the European qualifying examination. In addition to a thorough updating of developments, new material in the 2023 edition includes the following: Amended EPO Guidelines that entered into force on 01.03.2023 Commentary on recent amendments to the Implementing Regulations Recent decisions of the boards of appeal Rules relating to Unitary Patent Protection and Rules relating to Fees for Unitary Patent Protection The 2023 edition is suitable for candidates preparing for the EQE 2024 (pre-examination and main examination).

The book Visser’s Annotated European Patent Convention is a commentary on the European Patent Convention and a bestseller in European patent law. Each year a new, updated edition of the book is published and available in paperback form. The 2019 edition of this preeminent work – the only regularly updated authoritative article-by-article commentary in English on the European Patent Convention (EPC), its implementing regulations, and associated case law – provides the complete text of the 2000 Convention annotated with commentary and expert guidance on the interpretation of each paragraph. Since its first edition in 1994 it has provided the European patent community with the necessary insights to practice successfully before the European Patent Office. The EPO recommends the Visser’s Annotated European Patent Convention as the first book in its list of non-EPO/WIPO literature to be used for the preparation of the European qualifying examination. In addition to a thorough updating of developments, new material in this edition includes the following: New Rules of Procedure of the Boards of Appeal; New EPO Guidelines that enter into force on 01.11.2019; The references to Guidelines 2018 are kept for the eqe 2020 candidates.

The European Union has flourished and expanded over the last fifty years as a unique system that lies midway between a federal state and an anarchical international system. Different actors coexist within a cooperative hegemony of Member States, and the allocation of competences and decision-making among them has always been at the centre of the integration process. In fact, demands for clearer limits to the Unionand’s decision-making power and enduring tension over the nature and purpose of European integration have been the key drivers of integration and change. This deeply informed and thoughtful book thoroughly examines the manner in which the principle of division of powers has developed in EU Law over the course of European integration, and casts light on the path towards a more efficient delimitation of internal competence between the main actors: namely, the European Union and the Member States. Among the topics investigated in depth are the following: the place of the and‘competence provisionsand’ in the current and future EU Treaty structure; the scope and limits of the powers of institutional actors involved in EU decision-making; the contribution of the Court of Justice in declaring the pre-emptive effect and overarching precedence of Community law; the role of subsidiarity as a tool for monitoring the jurisdictional limits of the Communityand’s legislative competence; areas where and‘creeping competenceand’ occurs; the constitutional checks and balances available to Member States against unprecedented expansion of EU competences; and the spectre of a powerful and‘coreand’ Europe and a and‘multi-speedand’ Europe of pacesetters and laggards. Addressing numerous crucial issues and– among them the degree of permanence of the nation-state in a context of ambiguous constitutional authority, and the width of the democratic base of the Unionand’s and‘institutional dynamicand’ of cooperation and consensus and– the author lucidly describes a seeming paradox: an and‘ever-closer unionand’, with a growing democratic legitimacy, congruent with a supranational community that falls short of a fully-fledged democratic political entity. The countless perspectives and clarifications discovered along the way are sure to engage academics and policymakers working in the fields of the European integration project, and will provide ample insights and food for thought.

The new edition of this accessible introduction to the history of the European Union (EU) has been fully revised and updated to reflect the significant changes within the EU over the past decade. The book is ideal introductory reading for those new to the study of the EU who want a concise and up-to-date account of the political and economic development of the EU.