Indexed: PCT App. Guides / EPC Guidelines / UP Guide

The latest version of our Indexed WIPO-PCT Applicant's Guides (Jul 23) is now available. Together with our EPO-EPC Guidelines (Mar 23) and Unitary Patent Guide (Apr 22 = still in force), these books are useful as desktop references for daily use and for EQE study.

Our Indexed version improves on the official digital versions by abbreviating index entries, grouping them at the front to allow quick scanning, using page numbers to speed up finding pages, indicating sections with significant changes in the last 3 years, and fully using the page size to give a better overview of paragraphs. Relevant legal citations & references are underlined, making them easier to spot. We have retained the original order and numbering of the sections so they can also be used with any EPC / PCT legal reference, such as EPC.App and PCT.App.

Three editions of each are available in English:

• Study A4 Edition - using thicker 80gr paper, which is more suitable for intensive tabbing, annotating and highlighting available from Pumbo via www.boekenbestellen.nl.
• Portable A4 Edition - using thinner 50gr "bible paper", which is thinner and lighter available from available from Pumbo via www.boekenbestellen.nl. Note that Printing-On-Demand on such thin paper can sometimes result in minor print quality issues.
• Study Letter Edition - using thicker 90gr paper, which is more suitable for intensive tabbing, annotating and highlighting available internationally from Amazon mainly for orders outside the EU (AU, CA, JP, UK, US). If you are within Europe, please support our highly-recommended printer Pumbo instead of using Amazon👍.

For more details, including the order links, and sample pages, see: fireballpatents.com/study-materials.

The EPO-EPC Guidelines (EPC-GL) detail the procedures to be followed before the EPO. It covers their standard approach when dealing with direct EP and Euro-PCT applications, based on standard interpretations of the law and established case law. This book DOES NOT contain the EPO Euro-PCT Guide (EPG) or the EPO-PCT Guidelines.
This book also contains the EPO's Unitary Patent Guide (UPG), which outlines how to obtain an EU Unitary Patent. Note that the Unitary Patent is part of the legal syllabus for EQE2024:

"The syllabus of the EQE includes all updates and publications as defined in Rule 22 IPREE as at the syllabus cut-off date (31 October of the year preceding the examination). This includes inter alia, OJ EPO 2022, A41, which sets out the "Implementing Regulations on Unitary Patent Protection" before the EPO"

The WIPO-PCT Applicant's Guides (AG-IP and AG-NP) detail the main requirements and actions to be followed before the International Authorities and Designated / Elected Offices by applicant's.
This book also contains the WIPO Administrative Instructions (AI), detailing how Authorities should apply the PCT Rules, and including an overview of the applicant & office forms, the Request and the Demand Forms.
This book also contains Misc. PCT Info which are the useful overviews and FAQ's found on the WIPO website, such as which offices accept restoration of priority, fee tables, fee discounts, national security provisions and national entry time limits. This book DOES NOT contain the RO Guidelines (RO GL or GL/RO) or ISA/IPEA Guidelines (ISPE GL or GL/ISPE).

For EQE candidates, the EPO-EPC Guidelines and WIPO-PCT Applicant's Guides are considered essential for Pre-Exam and Paper D because most of the legal questions can be answered using the contents. Guidelines & Applicant's Guides are not legal basis themselves, but on Paper D, answers should always be supported by Articles and Rules citations. These versions are the official versions for EQE 2024 Main Exam & Pre-Exam. Note that many legal texts will be available digitally during the exam through WISEflow, including the contents of the EPO website and most parts of the PCT Applicants Guides. If you will rely on these electronic versions, make sure during the mocks that you actually have access because some networks and systems may block these connections.

Don't print WIPO Applicant's Guide for EQE 2022 - 2150 pages!

Every year, WIPO produces a printable version of the complete PCT Applicants Guide, including annexes for 154 States, specifically for the Pre- and Main Exams. Their 31 Oct 2021 version can be found here. It is 2150 pages and much of it will never be required at the exam. 

Providing a digital version has a low priority for EQE 2022, with resources being concentrated on improving the WISEflow exam interface. As noted in a recent post, online access will only be available to the www.epo.org domain during the exam. NO DIGITAL COPIES of other references will be available, and NO ONLINE ACCESS to other websites will be available. You also CANNOT OPEN any documents on your computer during the exam, so you will still need these PCT details on paper.

For many years, I have been making a cut-down PCT Global Reference to lighten the load and to save a few trees. Based on the syllabus, the Regulations, past papers and comments from Examination Committees, I have limited it to "only" 900 pages. There are also a lot of useful overviews from the WIPO/EPO website that WIPO did not include, so I have added about 300 extra pages, for a net saving of 850 pages. 

The latest edition is now available in two parts, and the links are here with my other study materials. The downloadable version is expected in Jan 2022. There will be two versions of the PCT Global Reference (31 Oct 2021):

• Two 16x23cm books (Part 1 & 2) for ordering. Both parts must be added separately to the basket. They comprise 1300 pages. After printing on thin bible paper, they weigh 1200g together, and are usually delivered in 10-14 days.
• Two A4 files (Part 1 & 2) for download. They comprise 1300 pages and are provided free of charge for own printing. Please distribute to anyone who wants to use them for any non-commercial and unmodified use.

New this year is that I have taken out some of the EPO-specific materials to make room for more coverage of the most frequently used RO's and DO/EO's, and more Practical Advices. These EPO-specific materials have been added to the separate EPO as a PCT Authority book which has been updated to the 31 Oct 21 status. 

The National Law & Validation book will no longer be produced. Access to www.epo.org during the exam will be available through External References, and online is the quickest way to find the required up-to-date National Law details. I have also moved Validation details to the separate EPO as a PCT Authority book which has been updated to the 31 Oct 21 status.

Hopefully, a digital version will be available for EQE 2023, or the syllabus will be officially limited to reduce the number of States that could be asked about.

Don't print the WIPO Applicant's Guide for EQE 2021 - 2070 pages!

** Updated: 5 Jan 2021 - download versions available**

Every year, WIPO produces a printable version of the complete PCT Applicants Guide, including annexes for 153 States, specifically for the Pre- and Main Exams. The 31 Oct 2020 version can be found here. It is 2070 pages and much of it will never be required at the exam. Hopefully, this is the last one as we transition to an online eEQE 😌. Note - Mock1 eEQE had no digital references. There was a weblink to the EPO EQE FAQs, so technically it is possible.

For many years, I have been making a cut-down version to lighten the load and to save a few trees. Based on the syllabus, the Regulations, past papers and comments from Examination Committees, I have limited it to "only" 800 pages. There are also a lot of useful overviews from the WIPO/EPO website that they did not include, so I have added about 250 extra pages, for a net saving of 1050 pages.   

The new edition is now available as 2 books, and the links are here with my other study materials. The downloadable version was completed on 7 Jan 2021. There will be two versions of the PCT References (31 Oct 2020):

• Order 16x23cm books (2 separate books). Printed on thin bible paper and weighing 1050g, and are usually delivered in 10-14 days.
• Download A4 files (2 separate PDF's). Provided free of charge for own printing. Please distribute to anyone who wants to use them for any non-commercial and unmodified use.

Uniquely, for EQE 2021 Main Exam, they will accept answers based on the 31 Oct 19 editions. So, these older editions are also still available for order or for download. See this blog post for more details on which version to use. 

According to the current EQE rules, only paper references will be allowed at EQE 2021. Hopefully they will make an exception for these PCT annexes. There are still no exact detail on what the exam portal will look like, so be prepared to have everything on paper.

I have also updated the EPO as PCT Authority and National Law & Validation books to the 31 Oct 20 status. 

PCT Refs for EQE 2020 - Part I and II

Every year, on 31 Oct, WIPO produces a printable version of the complete Applicants Guide, including all annexes, specifically for the Pre- and Main Exams. The current version can be found here. But it is 2030 pages and much of it will never be required at the exam.

I have produced this abbreviated & improved version to lighten the load and to save a few trees. Using Regulations, past papers and comments from Examination Committees, I have limited it to adequately cover what you may need. In addition, I have added many useful overviews from the WIPO& EPO websites and OJEPO's which can speed up answering questions during the exam.

My book is available in two parts, and reflects the status on 31 Oct:
If ordered on paper, each must each be added to your basket separately.
- Part I - References 160mm x 230mm x 12mm - 375g - 380 pages
- Part II - Annexes 160mm x 230mm x 18mm - 565g - 580 pages
UPDATE 03 Jan 20: A4 versions can also be downloaded free of charge from the same page if you wish to print them yourself.

Part I: References
- Useful overviews from WIPO website
- PCT/PC/WTO Treaty memberships
- Overviews of fees
- Latest versions (11 July 2019) of AG-IP and AG-NP, with my Detailed Table of Contents
- New: FAQ's on Contingency Upload Service, A.19 & A.34 amendments, R.49.6 Reinstatement, Third-Party Observations
Part II: Annexes
- Annex B, C, D, SISA, and E info for selected international Authorities
- National Chapters for selected DO/EO's

My FREE printable PCT Applicants Guide for EQE2019

Every year, WIPO produces a printable version of the complete Applicants Guide, including all annexes, specifically for the Pre- and Main Exams. The current version can be found here. But it is 1980 pages and much of it will never be required at the exam.

I have produced this abbreviated & improved version to lighten the load and to save a few trees. It is available for download to print yourself, or you can order an A5-sized book.
Using Regulations, past papers and comments from Examination Committees, I have limited it to adequately cover what you may need. In addition, I have added many useful overviews from the WIPO & EPO websites which can speed up answering questions during the exam.

Most of the contents are sourced from WIPO/EPO websites and Official Journal, and no copyright is claimed for these parts.

This year, the material is divided into 2 parts instead of 3 parts. A Detailed Table of Contents (with page numbers) is also included for the Applicant Guide Introductions.

My book is 900 pages and free of charge - it can be downloaded in from my patent firm's website. Feel free to pass on the links to anyone who needs them. To save paper when printing, it should be printed with 2 pages on each side of an A4.

Update: for those who cannot easily print out several hundred pages, the two parts can be ordered here in A5 format (21 x 14cm):

• Part I - References - 1.5cm thick 350 pages (290g)
• Part II - Annexes - 2cm thick 550 pages (455g)

Add each part separately to your basket as they are considered separate books on the Boekbestellen website.

Update (17/1/19): the thin paper is available again.

Changes compared to last year: