Online Filing 2.0

Smartcard access - If you were a registered CMS user, you have been given access to Online Filing 2.0 in demo mode. If you were an administrator in CMS you are automatically defined as an administrator in Online Filing 2.0 and you are able to access the demo and the production environment.

If you were not an administrator in CMS and you want to get access to the production environment of Online Filing 2.0, you need to contact your administrator or the IT support of your organisation.

If you have never used Online Filing 2.0, then please proceed by completing the registration form for Online Filing 2.0 below.

Enter your activated smart card and press the button below to open Online Filing 2.0. 

See also

• Decision of the President of the European Patent Office dated 3 March 2021 concerning the electronic filing of documents
• Enrol for a smart card (if you haven't already got one)
• Online registration form for Online Filing 2.0

• Online Filing 2.0 tutorials

• These short videos show you what Online Filing 2.0 has to offer, teach the basics of how to use the forms and provide some practical tips and instructions.

• Online Filing 2.0 user guide
• DOCX filing at the EPO: A guide for pilot participants

Online Filing 2.0 works in the following browsers:

• Google Chrome, version 61.0 or later
• Mozilla Firefox, version 56.0 or later
• Edge, version 84 or later

Online Filing 2.0 is now available for filing:

• Request for grant - EP1001 (including application documents as PDF, DOCX, sequence listings according to WIPO Standard ST.25 and other files in PDF)
• Request for entry into the European phase - EP1200 with attachments (PDF)
• PCT request - PCT/RO/101 with attachments (PDF, XML, including conversions from DOCX)
• Request for unitary effect – UP 7000
• Subsequent documents under the EPC up to grant, including amendments, corrections and rectifications (attached to EP 1038)
• Documents in opposition, limitation and revocation proceedings under the EPC (attached to EP 1038
• European patent with unitary effect – Letter accompanying subsequently filed items – UP 7038 
• Documents in appeal proceedings and in proceedings before the Enlarged Board of Appeal under the EPC (attached to EP 1038)
• The demand for international preliminary examination in the international phase (PCT application)
• The demand for preliminary examination in the international phase (PCT Demand), and subsequently filed documents under the PCT, including amendments, corrections and rectifications of documents (PCT-SFD).

Benefits

Online filing 2.0 is a web-based application that you can access from most browsers.

All you need is a smart card issued by the European Patent Office for secure login. Your smart card must be activated first.

Because the application is web-based, there is no software to install - and consequently no software updates. Data and documents are stored on a secure network hosted by EPO.

Features:

Access rights management

An authorised person within your organisation must be appointed to manage access rights for all the members of the organisation, i.e.

• limit the procedures accessible to individual users
• limit the tasks accessible to individual users
• limit rights to administer the address book
• assign user administration rights
• revoke individual access rights with immediate effect
• it is possible to assign rights for more than one user at a time

Multi-user feature

This feature allows you to share access to all applications/subsequently filed documents so that different people in the organisation can perform different actions on them (draft, pay fees, sign, submit). At the same time, the system prevents simultaneous updating of an application/‌document.

Your individual access rights determine which applications/documents you can view and which tasks you can perform.

Portfolio management

Portfolio management (in the Submission tab) allows you to manage applications within your organisation. You can now assign applications to folders and remove draft applications.

Templates

You can create templates for all form types, either from an existing application or from scratch. Templates are available to all members of an organisation provided they have been granted access rights for the relevant procedure.

Import/export

You can import all types of applications in XML, e.g. from patent management systems, provided that the format is compliant (EPO Online Filing specification).

You can also import/export an address book (in .csv format) if you have appropriate access rights.

Address book

In addition to being able to import an address book (e.g. from the EPO Online Filing client), the address book is shared throughout the organisation. In order to maintain the integrity of address data, editing is restricted based on access rights. You can now also organise the address book using folders.

Fee payments

As you are working online, the fee amounts displayed will always be correct. You can also pay any fee using the Form EP1038 option.

Evidence filed via EP1038

For opposition procedure, you can now attach more than one set of evidence.

• EPO online filing options comparison table