Inhalt:
Parts of files available to view online
The following documents may be viewed via online file inspection (selection):
- application documents including the request form for grant of a patent or registration of a utility model
- naming of the inventor
- communication received containing a request for search or examination
- notification on effective request for search or examination
- search report
- notification of bibliographic data
- office actions
- replies to office actions or subsequently files documents (Nachgang Patentprüfung) and, if applicable, newly filed documents
- minutes of the hearings in the patent grant procedure
- decision to reject the patent application
- appeal
- decision to grant the patent
- opposition or cancellation
- communications by the parties to opposition or cancellation proceedings
- minutes of the hearings in opposition or cancellation proceedings
- decision of the patent or utility model division in opposition or cancellation proceedings
The parts of the file will be displayed, as far as possible, in chronological order. Variations regarding the title or type of document may occur in individual cases for those documents that were integrated in the electronic case file system by scanning the paper file.
Legal restrictions
To provide for online inspection of the mentioned parts of files the overarching principles of protection of basic rights have to be taken into consideration in addition to data protection and copyright requirements.
Consequently, the following parts of files cannot be viewed (selection):
- confidential information e.g. personal data such as medical certificates or information about legal aid and insolvency proceedings
- copyright content e.g. non-patent literature
- priority documents
- requests for file inspection by third parties
- requests not to be named as inventor
- exclusive licences
- Cited documents identified in the search
© 2019 Deutsches Patent- und Markenamt | Stand vom 05.08.2019
