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Guidelines for Examination in the EPO

Guidelines for Examination - Table of Contents  
PART E GUIDELINES ON GENERAL PROCEDURAL MATTERS PART D    
CHAPTER IV TAKING AND CONSERVATION OF EVIDENCE CHAPTER III ORAL PROCEEDINGS CHAPTER V DEROGATIONS FROM THE LANGUAGE OF THE PROCEEDINGS IN ORAL PROCEEDINGS  
1. Taking of evidence by the departments of the EPO   2. Conservation of evidence  
1.7 Minutes of taking of evidence 1.6 Hearing of parties, witnesses and experts 1.8 Commissioning of experts  

1.7

Minutes of taking of evidence

 

Minutes of the taking of evidence must be drawn up as described in III, 10, subject to the following qualifications:

Rule 124(1)



The minutes of the taking of evidence must, in addition to the essentials of the taking of evidence, also record as comprehensively as possible (almost verbatim as far as the essential points are concerned) the testimony of the parties, witnesses or experts.

 

The minutes will normally be taken down by a member of the competent department carrying out the taking of evidence. The most efficient way of noting testimony is by way of dictation on to a dictating machine, in the process of which the person hearing the evidence will summarise the testimony in small sections, taking into account any objections raised by the person being heard, and dictate it in this form on to a dictating machine. If the dictated passage does not correspond in full to his testimony, the person being heard should raise any objections immediately. This should be pointed out to him at the beginning of his testimony. At the end of his testimony, he will be asked to approve the dictated minutes, which he will have listened to as they were dictated. His approval or any objections should be included in the dictated text. The dictated minutes are typed out and the parties are provided with a copy as soon as possible. It is not necessary to play back the minutes or to obtain approval of them if the testimony has been recorded verbatim and directly, using technical means.

Rule 124(2)



Where the taking of evidence includes an inspection, the minutes must record, in addition to the essentials of the proceedings, the results of the inspection.

 

In addition, the taking of evidence as well as oral proceedings (see III, 10.1) may be recorded on sound recording apparatus.

 


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