EPC Handbook

The EPC Handbook is an exam-oriented reference that covers relevant legal aspects of the European Patent Convention in a single, streamlined volume. Colour-coded references, deadline calculators, and concise bullet-point commentary turn legal provisions, case law developments and procedural rules into an exam-ready, quick reference designed to help candidates excel in the EQE legal papers and in the EPAC examination. Fully aligned with the new eEQE and EPAC formats, the handbook incorporates all legislative amendments and decisions up to November 2025, making it perfectly tailored to the 2026 examinations. The content flows in the same order in which candidates think during an exam. The opening five chapters set out the procedural backbone of the EPC—time limit computation, legal remedies, fees, prior art and patentability, communications and decisions. Chapters 6 and 7 analyse entitlement to the patent and the rights conferred. Amendments and language requirements are addressed in Chapters 8 and 9, followed by a dedicated chapter on representation before the EPO. Priority, filing, search, examination and validation are covered in Chapters 11 to 14, while the final section (Chapters 15 to 18) guides the candidates through opposition, appeal, petition for review and limitation proceedings.