{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"Glossary","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.healthbenefitstimes.com\/glossary","author_name":"Glossary","author_url":"https:\/\/www.healthbenefitstimes.com\/glossary\/author\/adminglossary\/","title":"European patent office (EPO) - Definition of European patent office (EPO)","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"V24HkCEOd1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthbenefitstimes.com\/glossary\/european-patent-office-epo\/\">European patent office (EPO)<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/www.healthbenefitstimes.com\/glossary\/european-patent-office-epo\/embed\/#?secret=V24HkCEOd1\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;European patent office (EPO)&#8221; &#8212; Glossary\" data-secret=\"V24HkCEOd1\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/www.healthbenefitstimes.com\/glossary\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n","description":"The Munich, Germany based agency of the European Union (EU)\u2014established in 1977\u2014that is responsible for common patent protection matters for all of the (EU) member countries, plus the non-EU countries of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The European Patent Office originally did not allow a \"plant or animal breed\" to be patented, whereas its American counterpart\u2014the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), does allow patenting of microbes, plants, and animals (e.g., those which have been genetically engineered by man). In 1997, the European Parliament removed that exclusion, thus making the two patent systems compatible."}