Quality

The EPO is committed to excellence in everything we do. Quality lies at the heart of this commitment.

We know that by granting patents of the highest quality we are contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals towards achieving a safer, smarter, and more sustainable world, fostering innovation, competitiveness, and economic growth in technologies of transformation.

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Thorough searches and written opinions

EPO search reports enable applicants to make informed and timely business decisions about the future of their invention.

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USS show high satisfaction levels

85% of surveyed users rate us as good or very good for final actions and publications. The last User Satisfaction Surveys involved close to 7 000 interviews.

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Help us improve quality 

The EPO has several channels where you can help us improve. You can always give us feedback, make a complaint or use our new Ombuds service.

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Quality in everything we do

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Foundations of quality

Solid legal framework and highly skilled staff.

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Enabling quality

Resources that enable EPO quality.

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High quality products & services

We continue to provide patents of excellent quality.

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Quality through networking

Quality is a shared responsibility.

Get detailed information

Quality Report

The EPO’s annual quality report provides our users with a full set of quality indicators. It also sets out our commitment to quality and the results that are being achieved. It underlines how the EPO supports innovation with high-quality patents that drive economic growth, employment and prosperity.

Quality Report 2022

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Statistics

Measuring our performance to ensure continuous improvement.

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ISO 9001

The EPO's Quality Management System is certified under the ISO 9001 standard. This covers the entire patent process, including search, examination, opposition, limitation/revocation, patent information and post-grant activities.

Patent quality charter

We are committed to excellence at all stages of the patent grant process and actively promote quality ownership among all stakeholders.

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We listen to you

Feedback from our users ensures the EPO is in step with its users and gets actionable insights to ensure quality improvement.

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For more information see

SACEPO