Rule 52 Declaration of priority

The declaration of priority referred to in Article 88, paragraph 1, shall indicate the date of the previous filing, the State party to the Paris Convention or Member of the World Trade Organization in or for which it was made and the file number. In the case referred to in Article 87, paragraph 5, the first sentence shall apply mutatis mutandis.

The declaration of priority shall preferably be made on filing the European patent application. It may still be made within sixteen months from the earliest priority date claimed.

The applicant may correct the declaration of priority within sixteen months from the earliest priority date claimed, or, where the correction would cause a change in the earliest priority date claimed, within sixteen months from the corrected earliest priority date, whichever sixteen-month period expires first, provided that such a correction may be submitted until the expiry of four months from the date of filing accorded to the European patent application.

However, a declaration of priority may not be made or corrected after a request under Article 93, paragraph 1(b), has been filed.

The particulars of the declaration of priority shall appear in the published European patent application and the European patent specification.