The European Patent Convention (EPC) states that a patent or patent application cannot be amended in such a way that it contains subject matter that extends beyond the content of the application as filed. It seems that the European Patent Office (EPO) is interpreting this provision with ever-increasing severity. This article considers the effects of this and related provisions to inventors in obtaining patent protection for their inventions in Europe and also consider the consequences of 'flouting the rules'
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Soames, C. Added matter and patentability. Nat Rev Drug Discov 4, 531 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd1781
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd1781
