EUROPEAN PATENT CONVENTION 1973 - Table of Contents IMPLEMENTING REGULATIONS TO THE CONVENTION ON THE GRANT OF EUROPEAN PATENTS PART III - IMPLEMENTING REGULATIONS TO PART III OF THE CONVENTION Chapter II - Provisions governing the application Rule 31 - Claims incurring fees

Rule 31 51 Claims incurring fees

Art. 78, 84, 91 R. 51, 110

(1) Any European patent application comprising more than ten claims at the time of filing shall, in respect of each claim over and above that number, incur payment of a claims fee. The claims fee shall be payable within one month after the filing of the application. If the claims fees have not been paid in due time they may still be validly paid within a period of grace of one month of notification of a communication pointing out the failure to observe the time limit.

(2) If a claims fee is not paid within the period referred to in paragraph 1, the claim concerned shall be deemed to be abandoned. Any claims fee duly paid shall be refunded only in the case referred to in Article 77, paragraph 5.

51 Last amended by decision of the Administrative Council of 07.12.1990 which entered into force on 01.06.1991 (OJ EPO 1991, 4 ff). See Legal advice No. 3/85 rev.