European Patent Academy
The European Patent Academy is the external education and training arm of the European Patent Office. Its mandate reflects the need to improve intellectual property training and education structures in Europe.
Set up in 2004, the Academy operates in partnership with a broad range of national and international institutions, including the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).
Areas and audiences
The Academy’s activities are structured around three training areas: patent granting, technology transfer and dissemination, and patent litigation and enforcement. These areas correspond to the life of a patent, from the inception of a patentable
invention to its exploitation and protection in the market. This is an integrated approach for a variety of audiences:
- patent examiners and formalities officers at national offices and related institutions, patent professionals (attorneys and paralegals)
- research institutions and technology transfers, SMEs, business associations, IP managers and CEOs
- judges, lawyers and prosecutors, academics (scholars and students),
Patent granting
The "patent granting" training area offers learning activities relating to substantive, legal and procedural aspects of the life of a patent at the EPO, from application filing to patent grant. It also covers the post-grant procedure under the EPC. The area addresses, primarily but not exclusively, the training needs of patent examiners from national offices, patent professionals and paralegals. For these last two groups, the EPO regularly organises qualification and certification activities.
Technology transfer and dissemination
The "Technology transfer and dissemination" training area aims to make education a pillar of innovation, both before the filing of an application and after the grant of a patent. Training activities are available to all innovation stakeholders, from PATLIB centres to businesses and SMEs, as well as to academia and research centres, etc. The goal is to foster education and research on patents and innovation promotion, nurturing the next generation of engineers, researchers, managers and entrepreneurs. This training area also endeavours to provide economic actors and policymakers with the learning tools that will enable them to make the best use of the patent system.
Patent litigation and enforcement
The "enforcement" training area provides training and exchange activities aimed at promoting a harmonised approach to patent law in member states by developing sound knowledge of patent litigation. Activities are offered at different levels on post-grant litigation and enforcement. The area is aimed mainly at the judiciary, in particular judges sitting in courts competent to hear patent cases in their own countries. However, our training activities may be of benefit to other practitioners, such as IP lawyers and patent attorneys wishing to increase their knowledge of enforcement and post-grant issues.