The 2026 edition of this preeminent work remains the leading English language commentary on the European Patent Convention and a long standing bestseller in European patent law. This authoritative article by article reference work provides the complete text of the EPC, its Implementing Regulations, and key case law, together with expert annotations that guide practitioners in interpreting every provision with confidence.
Since its first publication in 1994, Visser’s Annotated EPC has been an indispensable resource for European patent attorneys, in house counsel, and trainees practising before the European Patent Office (EPO). It is also the only regularly updated, comprehensive EPC commentary in English. The EPO itself recommends the book as the first title on its list of non EPO/WIPO literature for preparing for the European Qualifying Examination (EQE).
Visser's Annotated European Patent Convention 2026 Edition
What’s new in the 2026 edition
Visser's Annotated European Patent Convention, 2026 Edition provides a fully updated commentary reflecting legislative, procedural, and case law developments up to early 2026. New and expanded content includes:
- Amendments to the Implementing Regulations since 01.04.2025, including commentary on their impact.
- Updated EPO Guidelines, entering into force on 01.04.2026.
- Recent decisions from the Boards of Appeal, integrated into the article by article analysis to support accurate legal interpretation.
This edition is particularly well suited for candidates preparing for the EQE 2027, ensuring alignment with the most recent law and practice relevant for both the pre exam (if applicable) and main examination.
The Visser Team
Kaisa Suominen
Editor
European Patent Attorney Kaisa Suominen joined a Finnish private practice firm after her graduation and has since mainly worked in private practice, including five years as managing director. She is currently working at Laine IP.
Peter de Lange
Peter is a European and Dutch patent attorney. Peter graduated in chemistry and in law and completed an internship with the Boards of Appeal during his studies.
Andrew Rudge
After 5 years of working for Pfizer as a medicinal chemist, Andrew joined the patent department and qualified as a European Patent Attorney and Chartered Patent Attorney (UK). His practice is focused on EPO prosecution and opposition work in the pharmaceutical field.
Nina Ferara
Nina Ferara works as an in-house patent attorney at Porsche in Germany. She trained and qualified as a European Patent Attorney in private practice - at a boutique patent law firm in Munich, where she worked on inventions related to software, robotics, and medtech, among others.
Stay on top of the Unitary Patent and Unified Patent Court
Annotated UPC Agreement New
The Annotated UPC Agreement takes you step-by-step through the legal provisions of the UPCA and its Rules of Procedure, with expert commentary on the interpretation of these provisions based on the growing body of case law. For further research, comprehensive details of the case law relevant to each provision is also provided.
Edited by Venner Shipley LLP.
UPC Case Law Tracker
The comprehensive UPC Case Law Tracker offers headnotes, authoritative summaries, and full texts of patent cases shortly after publication. Leading cases include analytical and expert annotations, providing an in-depth understanding of the legal landscape.
Drive efficiency with an indispensable PCT tool for patent professionals
Edited by Malte Köllner and other experts, Annotated PCT is a regularly updated resource offering the following.
- In-Depth Annotations: Extensive commentary on the entire PCT text, including explanations of legal principles and interrelations between provisions, making it easier to understand complex legal language.
- Practical Guidance: Users can quickly retrieve answers to practical legal questions, thanks to a logical structure that follows the articles and rules of the PCT.
- Detailed Commentary: A paragraph-by-paragraph analysis, helping users grasp the nuances of each section effectively.
- Strategic Options: It outlines various options available to applicants at different stages of the patent process, along with important factors to consider when making decisions.
- Extensive index: This helpful resource assists in quickly retrieving relevant answers.
Read what experts in the field have to say about Kluwer IP Law
Kluwer IP Law’s Annotated UPC Agreement is a unique and powerful tool that significantly reduces the time and effort required to gather relevant cases linked to the specific provisions of the UPCA and its Rules of Procedure. It's very user-friendly and intuitive to use, providing direct links to the corresponding full-text orders and decisions of the UPC. I highly recommend this tool to anyone seeking an efficient way to get a quick overview and references of the decisions related to specific UPC points of law.
Kluwer IP Law offers various sources that will help you to get a thorough understanding of the EQE.
- Various resources that help you prepare for the exam, like the A-Book, B-Book, C-Book and D-Book.
- Recent decisions by the board of appeal of the European Patent Office
- Have access to a wide range of study materials for passing the EQE exams
- Various EPO and WIPO
If you would like to learn more about our Kluwer IP Law database or if you have any questions, please contact us: