Double patenting

Double patenting is the granting of two patents for a single invention, to the same proprietor and in the same country or countries. According to the European Patent Office, it is an accepted principle in most patent systems that two patents cannot be granted to the same applicant for one invention.[1] However, the threshold for double patenting varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

  1. ^ Guidelines for Examination in the EPO, section g-iv, 5.4 : "Double patenting".