Deadlines - Generating Terms in Continux

Geändert am Fr, 29 Mai um 12:22 NACHMITTAGS

Continux distinguishes between two types of time points: Terms are automatically generated statutory deadlines, firmly programmed and linked to procedural dates/events, whereas Tasks are flexible tools that can be created and edited manually, e.g. also as reminders for deadlines. Terms appear in the tab of the same name and cannot be changed manually.

Basic Principles of Deadline Generation - Conditions for Generating Terms
For Continux to generate a deadline, the following conditions must be met:

1. Triggering date must be present

A deadline (term) is only generated if the required reference date is stored in the procedural data
Example: If the grant date is missing for country-specific renewal fees calculated from the date of grant, these deadlines cannot be generated

2. Expiry date must not lie in the past

Continux only generates deadlines if their expiry date has not yet passed
The triggering event itself may well lie in the past – what matters is solely whether the resulting deadline is still running

3. At least one valid deadline must be generated

The "Terms" tab is only displayed if at least one deadline has been generated
If all triggering data are missing or all deadlines have expired, the tab remains invisible

Practical Examples

Example 1: Timely File Creation - Priority Deadline is Generated

Situation: A DE patent file is created 3 months after the filing date and the filing date is entered.
Prerequisite: The filing date must be entered so that the priority deadline can be calculated.
Generation logic: Continux calculates the priority deadline (12 months from the filing date) and checks whether the expiry date lies in the future.
Result: The priority deadline appears in the Terms tab and can be monitored.

Example 2: Post-Grant Renewal Fees - EP Validation & Unitary Patent

Situation: A EP patent file is created retrospectively, years after filing and months after grant. Several renewal fees have already been paid.
Prerequisite: Renewal fees are calculated from the anniversary of the filing date and are not dependent on the grant date. However, the grant date is a prerequisite for triggering the validation workflow and creating a national validation file or Unitary Patent file – this determines in which file the deadlines will appear.
Generation logic: Continux calculates all renewal fees from the anniversary of the filing date, but only generates deadlines for due dates that lie in the future.
EP validation countries (e.g. GB or CH): As soon as a national validation file is created via the EP validation workflow, Continux automatically sets the renewal fees in the EP file to "obsolete". The renewal fee deadlines then appear exclusively in the respective national validation file.
Unitary Patent (EP-UP): When a Unitary Patent file is created, the renewal fees in the EP file are likewise set to "obsolete". The deadlines are not displayed in individual national files but are consolidated in the Unitary Patent file, which acts as a central validation file within the family tree.
Result: The "Term" tab displays exclusively the outstanding renewal fees - either in the national validation file, in the Unitary Patent file, or (where no validation and no UP exists) in the EP file itself. Already expired due dates do not appear, even if they have been paid.

➔ Renewal Fees After EP Grant – Terms and Deadlines in Continux