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TABLE OF CONTENTS

SWITZERLAND

Patent Law

as last amended on March 24, 1995
ENTRY INTO FORCE: January 1, 1996
Part I General Provisions
Chapter 1 Conditions for Obtaining Patents and Effects of Patents
A. Patentable Inventions / I. General Conditions / Art. 1/ II. Special Cases / Art. 1a/ B. Inventions Excluded From Patentability / Art. 2/ C. Right to Obtain the Patent / I. General Principle / Art. 3/ II. In Examination Procedure / Art. 4/ D. Mention of Inventor / I. Right of Inventor / Art. 5/ II. Renunciation of Mention / Art. 6/ E. Novelty of the Invention / I. State of the Art / Art. 7/ II. Prior Right / Art. 7a/ III. Unclaimable Disclosures / Art. 7b/ IV. New Use of Known Substances/ Art. 7c/ F. Effects of Patent / Art. 8/ G. Patents of Addition / Art. 9 [Repealed]/ Art. 10 [Repealed]/ H. Notice of Patent Protection / I. Patent Marking / Art. 11/ II. Other References / Art. 12/ J. Residence Abroad / Art. 13/ K. Term of Patent / I. Maximum Term / Art. 14/ II. Premature Expiration / Art. 15/ L. Reservation / Art. 16
Chapter 2 Right of Priority
A. Conditions and Effects of Priority / Art. 17/ B. Right to Claim the Right of Priority / Art. 18/ C. Formal Requirements / Art. 19/ D. Burden of Proof in Legal Action / Art. 20/ E. Prohibition of Cumulative Protection / Art. 20a/ Art. 21 [Repealed] (to Art. 23)
Chapter 3 Modification of the Scope of the Patent
A. Partial Renunciation / I. Conditions / Art. 24/ II. Issue of New Patents / Art. 25/ B. Action for Invalidation / I. Grounds for Nullity / Art. 26/ II. Partial Nullity / Art. 27/ III. Qualification to Take Action / Art. 28
Chapter 4 Modifications of the Right to Obtain a Patent and of the Right to the Patent; Grant of Licenses
A. Action for Assignment / I. Conditions and Effects Against Third Parties / Art. 29/ II. Partial Assignment / Art. 30/ III. Term for Action / Art. 31/ B. Expropriation of the Patent / Art. 32/ C. Transfer of Rights to Obtain a Patent and of Patent Right / Art. 33/ D. Grant of Licenses / Art. 34
Chapter 5 Legal Restrictions on Patent Rights
A. Third Party Right Derived From Prior Use; Foreign Vehicles / Art. 35/ B. Dependent Inventions / Art. 36/ C. Working the Invention in Switzerland / I. Action for Grant of License / Art. 37/ II. Action for Revocation of the Patent / Art. 38/ III. Exceptions / Art. 39/ D. Licenses in the Public Interest / Art. 40/ E. Compulsory Licenses in the Field of Semiconductor Technology / Art. 40a/ F. Provisions Common to Articles 36 to 40a / Art. 40b
Chapter 6 Fees
A. Principles / Art. 41/ B. Due Date of Annual Fees / I. In General / Art. 42 [Repealed]/ II. In the Case of Divided Applications / Art. 42a [Repealed]/ III. In the Case of the Grant of New Patents / Art. 43 [Repealed]/ C. Respite for Payment / Art. 44 [Repealed] (to Art. 46)
Chapter 7 Further Processing and Restitutio in integrum
A. Further Processing / Art. 46a/ B. Restitutio in integrum / Art. 47/ C. Reservation for Third Party Rights / Art. 48

Part II Grant of the Patent
Chapter 1 Patent Application
A. Formal Requisites / Art. 49/ B. Disclosure of the Invention / Art. 50/ C. Claims / I. Scope of the Claims / Art. 51/ II. Independent Claims / Art. 52/ Art. 53 [Repealed]/ Art. 54 [Repealed]/ III. Dependent Claims / Art. 55/ IV. Claims Subject to a Fee / Art. 55a [Repealed]/ D. Abstract / Art. 55b/ E. Filing Date / I. In General / Art. 56/ II. Division of Patent Application / Art. 57/ III. Modification of Technical Documents / Art. 58
Chapter 2 Examination of the Patent Application
A. Subject Matter of the Examination / Art. 59/ B. Completion of Examination / Art. 59a/ C. Postponement of Grant / Art. 59b/ D. Appeals / Art. 59c/ E. Reservation on Preliminary Examination / Art. 59d
Chapter 3 Patent Register; Publications Made by the Institute
A. Patent Register / Art. 60/ B. Publications / I. Concerning Patent Applications and Granted Patents / Art. 61/ II. Postponement of Publication / Art. 62/ III. Patent Specification / a. Without Preliminary Examination / Art. 63/ b. With Preliminary Examination / Art. 63a/ C. Letters Patent / Art. 64/ D. Preservation of Files / Art. 65

Part III Civil and Penal Sanctions
Chapter 1 Provisions for Protection Under Both Civil Law and Penal Law
A. Conditions for Responsibility / Art. 66/ B. Reversal of Burden of Proof / Art. 67/ C. Safeguard of Manufacturing or Business Secrets / Art. 68/ D. Sale or Destruction of Products or Installations / Art. 69/ E. Publication of Decision / Art. 70/ F. Interdiction of Successive Actions / Art. 71
Chapter 2 Special Provisions for Protection Under Civil Law
A. Action for Injunction or Suppression of the State of Things / Art. 72/ B. Action for Damages / Art. 73/ C. Action for Declaratory Judgment / Art. 74/ D. Jurisdiction / Art. 75/ E. Sole Cantonal Instance / Art. 76/ F. Provisional Measures / I. Conditions / Art. 77/ II. Competence / Art. 78/ III. Security / Art. 79/ IV. Responsibility of Petitioner / Art. 80
Chapter 3 Special Provisions for Protection Under Penal Law
A. Penal Provisions / I. Patent Infringement / Art. 81/ II. Fallacious Allusion to Protection / Art. 82/ B. General Provisions of the Swiss Penal Code Applicable / Art. 83/ C. Jurisdiction / Art. 84/ D. Competence of the Cantonal Authorities / I. In General / Art. 85/ II. Exception of Nullity of the Patent / Art. 86

Part IV Preliminary Examination
Chapter 1 Field of Application and Organs
A. Field of Application of the Preliminary Examination / Art. 87/ B. Bodies / Art. 88/ C. Examiners / Art. 89/ D. Opposition Divisions / Art. 90/ E. Boards of Appeal / I. Competence / Art. 91 [Repealed]/ II. Jurisdictional Independence; Decision Final / Art. 92 [Repealed]/ III. Joint Boards / Art. 93 [Repealed]/ IV. Appointment of Members / Art. 94 [Repealed]/ Art. 95 [Repealed]
Chapter 2 Examination of the Patent Application
A. Before the Examiner / I. In General / Art. 96/ II. Rejection of Appeal / Art. 97/ B. Publications / I. Conditions / Art. 98/ II. Form / Art. 99/ III. Postponement / Art. 100/ C. Opposition / Art. 101/ Art. 102 [Repealed]/ Art. 103 [Repealed]/ D. Costs Incurred in Determining a State of Fact / Art. 104/ E. Amendment of the Technical Documents / Art. 105/ F. Methods of Appeal / I. Appellate Body / Art. 106/ II. Right to Appeal / Art. 106a/ Art. 107 [Repealed]/ Art. 108 [Repealed]

Part V European Patent Applications and European Patents
Chapter 1 Applicable Law
Scope of the Law; Relation to the European Patent Convention
Art. 109
Chapter 2 Effects of the European Patent Application and of the European Patent
A. Principle / Art. 110/ B. Provisional Protection Afforded by European Patent Application / Art. 111/ C. Reservation Concerning Translations / I. For Published European Patent Applications / Art. 112/ II. For European Patents / Art. 113/ III. Revision of Translations / Art. 114/ D. Authentic Languages / I. Language of Procedure / Art. 115/ II. Language of the Translation; Right of Concurrent Use / Art. 116
Chapter 3 Administration of the European Patent
A. Swiss Register of European Patents / Art. 117/ B. Publications / Art. 118/ C. Annual Fees for the European Patent / Art. 119 [Repealed]/ D. Representation / Art. 120
Chapter 4 Transformation of the European Patent Application
A. Causes for Transformation / Art. 121/ B. Legal Effects / Art. 122/ C. Translation / Art. 123/ D. Reservation in Favor of the European Patent Convention / Art. 124
Chapter 5 Provisions Concerning Protection Under Civil Law and Criminal Law
A. Prohibition on Cumulative Protection / I. Predominance of the European Patent / Art. 125/ II. Predominance of Patents Resulting from Transformation / Art. 126/ B. Rules of Procedure / I. Limitation of Partial Renunciation / Art. 127/ II. Suspension of Procedure / a. Civil Procedure / Art. 128/ b. Criminal Procedure / Art. 129
Chapter 6 Letters Rogatory Issued by the European Patent Office
Transmitting Authority
Art. 130

Part VI International Patent Applications
Chapter 1 Applicable Law
Scope of the Law; Relation to the Patent Cooperation Treaty
Art. 131
Chapter 2 Applications Filed in Switzerland
A. Receiving Office / Art. 132/ B. Procedure / Art. 133
Chapter 3 Applications Designating Switzerland; Elected Office
A. Designated Office and Elected Office / Art. 134/ B. Effect of the International Application / I. Principle / Art. 135/ II. Right of Priority / Art. 136/ III. Provisional Protection / Art. 137/ C. Formal Conditions; Annual Fee / Art. 138/ D. Search Report / Art. 139/ E. Prohibition of Cumulative Protection / Art. 140

Part VII Supplementary Protection Certificates for Medicinal Products
A. Principle / Art. 140a/ B. Conditions / Art. 140b/ C. Entitlement / Art. 140c/ D. Subject Matter of Protection and Effects / Art. 140d/ E. Term of Protection / Art. 140e/ F. Time Limit for Filing an Application / Art. 140f/ G. Grant of Certificate / Art. 140g/ H. Fees / Art. 140h/ I. Premature Lapse; Suspension / Art. 140i/ K. Invalidity / Art. 140k/ L. Procedure, Register, Publications / Art. 140l/ M. Applicable Law / Art. 140m

Final Part Final and Transitional Provisions
A. Implementing Measures / Art. 141/ B. Transition From the Former Law to the New Law / I. Patents / Art. 142/ II. Patent Applications / a. Principle and Exceptions / Art. 143/ b. Invention Previously Excluded From Patenting / Art. 144/ III. Civil Liability / Art. 145/ C. Supplementary Protection Certificates / I. Authorization Prior to Entry Into Force / Art. 146/ II. Expired Patents / Art. 147

[Last updated 1 April 2004]
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