Skip to main content Skip to footer
HomeHome
 
  • Homepage
  • Searching for patents

    Patent knowledge

    Access our patent databases and search tools.

    Go to overview 

    • Overview
    • Technical information
      • Overview
      • Espacenet - patent search
      • European Publication Server
      • EP full-text search
    • Legal information
      • Overview
      • European Patent Register
      • European Patent Bulletin
      • European Case Law Identifier sitemap
      • Third-party observations
    • Business information
      • Overview
      • PATSTAT
      • IPscore
      • Technology insight reports
    • Data
      • Overview
      • Technology Intelligence Platform
      • Linked open EP data
      • Bulk data sets
      • Web services
      • Coverage, codes and statistics
    • Technology platforms
      • Overview
      • Plastics in transition
      • Water innovation
      • Space innovation
      • Technologies combatting cancer
      • Firefighting technologies
      • Clean energy technologies
      • Fighting coronavirus
    • Helpful resources
      • Overview
      • First time here?
      • Asian patent information
      • Patent information centres
      • Patent Translate
      • Patent Knowledge News
      • Business and statistics
      • Unitary Patent information in patent knowledge
    Image
    Plastics in Transition

    Technology insight report on plastic waste management

  • Applying for a patent

    Applying for a patent

    Practical information on filing and grant procedures.

    Go to overview 

    • Overview
    • European route
      • Overview
      • European Patent Guide
      • Oppositions
      • Oral proceedings
      • Appeals
      • Unitary Patent & Unified Patent Court
      • National validation
      • Request for extension/validation
    • International route (PCT)
      • Overview
      • Euro-PCT Guide – PCT procedure at the EPO
      • EPO decisions and notices
      • PCT provisions and resources
      • Extension/validation request
      • Reinforced partnership programme
      • Accelerating your PCT application
      • Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH)
      • Training and events
    • National route
    • Find a professional representative
    • MyEPO services
      • Overview
      • Understand our services
      • Get access
      • File with us
      • Interact with us on your files
      • Online Filing & fee payment outages
    • Forms
      • Overview
      • Request for examination
    • Fees
      • Overview
      • European fees (EPC)
      • International fees (PCT)
      • Unitary Patent fees (UP)
      • Fee payment and refunds
      • Warning

    UP

    Find out how the Unitary Patent can enhance your IP strategy

  • Law & practice

    Law & practice

    European patent law, the Official Journal and other legal texts.

    Go to overview 

    • Overview
    • Legal texts
      • Overview
      • European Patent Convention
      • Official Journal
      • Guidelines
      • Extension / validation system
      • London Agreement
      • National law relating to the EPC
      • Unitary patent system
      • National measures relating to the Unitary Patent
    • Court practices
      • Overview
      • European Patent Judges' Symposium
    • User consultations
      • Overview
      • Ongoing consultations
      • Completed consultations
    • Substantive patent law harmonisation
      • Overview
      • The Tegernsee process
      • Group B+
    • Convergence of practice
    • Options for professional representatives
    Image
    Law and practice scales 720x237

    Keep up with key aspects of selected BoA decisions with our monthly "Abstracts of decisions”

  • News & events

    News & events

    Our latest news, podcasts and events, including the European Inventor Award.

    Go to overview 

     

    • Overview
    • News
    • Events
    • European Inventor Award
      • Overview
      • The meaning of tomorrow
      • About the award
      • Categories and prizes
      • Meet the finalists
      • Nominations
      • European Inventor Network
      • The 2024 event
    • Young Inventor Prize
      • Overview
      • About the prize
      • Nominations
      • The jury
      • The world, reimagined
    • Press centre
      • Overview
      • Patent Index and statistics
      • Search in press centre
      • Background information
      • Copyright
      • Press contacts
      • Call back form
      • Email alert service
    • Innovation and patenting in focus
      • Overview
      • Water-related technologies
      • CodeFest
      • Green tech in focus
      • Research institutes
      • Women inventors
      • Lifestyle
      • Space and satellites
      • The future of medicine
      • Materials science
      • Mobile communications
      • Biotechnology
      • Patent classification
      • Digital technologies
      • The future of manufacturing
      • Books by EPO experts
    • "Talk innovation" podcast

    Podcast

    From ideas to inventions: tune into our podcast for the latest in tech and IP

  • Learning

    Learning

    The European Patent Academy – the point of access to your learning

    Go to overview 

    • Overview
    • Learning activities and paths
      • Overview
      • Learning activities
      • Learning paths
    • EQE and EPAC
      • Overview
      • EQE - European qualifying examination
      • EPAC - European patent administration certification
      • CSP – Candidate Support Programme
    • Learning resources by area of interest
      • Overview
      • Patent granting
      • Technology transfer and dissemination
      • Patent enforcement and litigation
    • Learning resources by profile
      • Overview
      • Business and IP managers
      • EQE and EPAC Candidates
      • Judges, lawyers and prosecutors
      • National offices and IP authorities
      • Patent attorneys and paralegals
      • Universities, research centres and technology transfer centres (TTOs)
    Image
    Patent Academy catalogue

    Have a look at the extensive range of learning opportunities in the European Patent Academy training catalogue

  • About us

    About us

    Find out more about our work, values, history and vision

    Go to overview 

    • Overview
    • The EPO at a glance
    • 50 years of the EPC
      • Overview
      • Official celebrations
      • Member states’ video statements
      • 50 Leading Tech Voices
      • Athens Marathon
      • Kids’ collaborative art competition
    • Legal foundations and member states
      • Overview
      • Legal foundations
      • Member states of the European Patent Organisation
      • Extension states
      • Validation states
    • Administrative Council and subsidiary bodies
      • Overview
      • Communiqués
      • Calendar
      • Documents and publications
      • Administrative Council
    • Principles & strategy
      • Overview
      • Our mission, vision, values and corporate policy
      • Strategic Plan 2028
      • Towards a New Normal
    • Leadership & management
      • Overview
      • President António Campinos
      • Management Advisory Committee
    • Sustainability at the EPO
      • Overview
      • Environmental
      • Social
      • Governance and Financial sustainability
    • Services & activities
      • Overview
      • Our services & structure
      • Quality
      • Consulting our users
      • European and international co-operation
      • European Patent Academy
      • Chief Economist
      • Ombuds Office
      • Reporting wrongdoing
    • Observatory on Patents and Technology
      • Overview
      • Innovation actors
      • Policy and funding
      • Tools
      • About the Observatory
    • Procurement
      • Overview
      • Procurement forecast
      • Doing business with the EPO
      • Procurement procedures
      • Sustainable Procurement Policy
      • About eTendering and electronic signatures
      • Procurement portal
      • Invoicing
      • General conditions
      • Archived tenders
    • Transparency portal
      • Overview
      • General
      • Human
      • Environmental
      • Organisational
      • Social and relational
      • Economic
      • Governance
    • Statistics and trends
      • Overview
      • Statistics & Trends Centre
      • Patent Index 2024
      • EPO Data Hub
      • Clarification on data sources
    • History
      • Overview
      • 1970s
      • 1980s
      • 1990s
      • 2000s
      • 2010s
      • 2020s
    • Art collection
      • Overview
      • The collection
      • Let's talk about art
      • Artists
      • Media library
      • What's on
      • Publications
      • Contact
      • Culture Space A&T 5-10
      • "Long Night"
    Image
    Patent Index 2024 keyvisual showing brightly lit up data chip, tinted in purple, bright blue

    Track the latest tech trends with our Patent Index

 
en de fr
  • Language selection
  • English
  • Deutsch
  • Français
Main navigation
  • Homepage
    • Go back
    • New to patents
  • New to patents
    • Go back
    • Your business and patents
    • Why do we have patents?
    • What's your big idea?
    • Are you ready?
    • What to expect
    • How to apply for a patent
    • Is it patentable?
    • Are you first?
    • Patent quiz
    • Unitary patent video
  • Searching for patents
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • Technical information
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Espacenet - patent search
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • National patent office databases
        • Global Patent Index (GPI)
        • Release notes
      • European Publication Server
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Release notes
        • Cross-reference index for Euro-PCT applications
        • EP authority file
        • Help
      • EP full-text search
    • Legal information
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • European Patent Register
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Release notes archive
        • Register documentation
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Deep link data coverage
          • Federated Register
          • Register events
      • European Patent Bulletin
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Download Bulletin
        • EP Bulletin search
        • Help
      • European Case Law Identifier sitemap
      • Third-party observations
    • Business information
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • PATSTAT
      • IPscore
        • Go back
        • Release notes
      • Technology insight reports
    • Data
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Technology Intelligence Platform
      • Linked open EP data
      • Bulk data sets
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Manuals
        • Sequence listings
        • National full-text data
        • European Patent Register data
        • EPO worldwide bibliographic data (DOCDB)
        • EP full-text data
        • EPO worldwide legal event data (INPADOC)
        • EP bibliographic data (EBD)
        • Boards of Appeal decisions
      • Web services
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Open Patent Services (OPS)
        • European Publication Server web service
      • Coverage, codes and statistics
        • Go back
        • Weekly updates
        • Updated regularly
    • Technology platforms
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Plastics in transition
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Plastics waste recovery
        • Plastics waste recycling
        • Alternative plastics
      • Innovation in water technologies
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Clean water
        • Protection from water
      • Space innovation
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Cosmonautics
        • Space observation
      • Technologies combatting cancer
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Prevention and early detection
        • Diagnostics
        • Therapies
        • Wellbeing and aftercare
      • Firefighting technologies
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Detection and prevention of fires
        • Fire extinguishing
        • Protective equipment
        • Post-fire restoration
      • Clean energy technologies
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Renewable energy
        • Carbon-intensive industries
        • Energy storage and other enabling technologies
      • Fighting coronavirus
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Vaccines and therapeutics
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Vaccines
          • Overview of candidate therapies for COVID-19
          • Candidate antiviral and symptomatic therapeutics
          • Nucleic acids and antibodies to fight coronavirus
        • Diagnostics and analytics
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Protein and nucleic acid assays
          • Analytical protocols
        • Informatics
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Bioinformatics
          • Healthcare informatics
        • Technologies for the new normal
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Devices, materials and equipment
          • Procedures, actions and activities
          • Digital technologies
        • Inventors against coronavirus
    • Helpful resources
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • First time here?
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Basic definitions
        • Patent classification
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC)
        • Patent families
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • DOCDB simple patent family
          • INPADOC extended patent family
        • Legal event data
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • INPADOC classification scheme
      • Asian patent information
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • China (CN)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Facts and figures
          • Grant procedure
          • Numbering system
          • Useful terms
          • Searching in databases
        • Chinese Taipei (TW)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Grant procedure
          • Numbering system
          • Useful terms
          • Searching in databases
        • India (IN)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Facts and figures
          • Grant procedure
          • Numbering system
        • Japan (JP)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Facts and figures
          • Grant procedure
          • Numbering system
          • Useful terms
          • Searching in databases
        • Korea (KR)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Facts and figures
          • Grant procedure
          • Numbering system
          • Useful terms
          • Searching in databases
        • Russian Federation (RU)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Facts and figures
          • Numbering system
          • Searching in databases
        • Useful links
      • Patent information centres (PATLIB)
      • Patent Translate
      • Patent Knowledge News
      • Business and statistics
      • Unitary Patent information in patent knowledge
  • Applying for a patent
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • European route
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • European Patent Guide
      • Oppositions
      • Oral proceedings
        • Go back
        • Oral proceedings calendar
          • Go back
          • Calendar
          • Public access to appeal proceedings
          • Public access to opposition proceedings
          • Technical guidelines
      • Appeals
      • Unitary Patent & Unified Patent Court
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Unitary Patent
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Legal framework
          • Main features
          • Applying for a Unitary Patent
          • Cost of a Unitary Patent
          • Translation and compensation
          • Start date
          • Introductory brochures
        • Unified Patent Court
      • National validation
      • Extension/validation request
    • International route
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Euro-PCT Guide
      • Entry into the European phase
      • Decisions and notices
      • PCT provisions and resources
      • Extension/validation request
      • Reinforced partnership programme
      • Accelerating your PCT application
      • Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH)
        • Go back
        • Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) programme outline
      • Training and events
    • National route
    • MyEPO services
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Understand our services
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Exchange data with us using an API
          • Go back
          • Release notes
      • Get access
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Release notes
      • File with us
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • What if our online filing services are down?
        • Release notes
      • Interact with us on your files
        • Go back
        • Release notes
      • Online Filing & fee payment outages
    • Fees
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • European fees (EPC)
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Decisions and notices
      • International fees (PCT)
        • Go back
        • Reduction in fees
        • Fees for international applications
        • Decisions and notices
        • Overview
      • Unitary Patent fees (UP)
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Decisions and notices
      • Fee payment and refunds
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Payment methods
        • Getting started
        • FAQs and other documentation
        • Technical information for batch payments
        • Decisions and notices
        • Release notes
      • Warning
    • Forms
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Request for examination
    • Find a professional representative
  • Law & practice
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • Legal texts
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • European Patent Convention
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Archive
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Documentation on the EPC revision 2000
            • Go back
            • Overview
            • Diplomatic Conference for the revision of the EPC
            • Travaux préparatoires
            • New text
            • Transitional provisions
            • Implementing regulations to the EPC 2000
            • Rules relating to Fees
            • Ratifications and accessions
          • Travaux Préparatoires EPC 1973
      • Official Journal
      • Guidelines
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • EPC Guidelines
        • PCT-EPO Guidelines
        • Unitary Patent Guidelines
        • Guidelines revision cycle
        • Consultation results
        • Summary of user responses
        • Archive
      • Extension / validation system
      • London Agreement
      • National law relating to the EPC
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Archive
      • Unitary Patent system
        • Go back
        • Travaux préparatoires to UP and UPC
      • National measures relating to the Unitary Patent 
    • Court practices
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • European Patent Judges' Symposium
    • User consultations
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Ongoing consultations
      • Completed consultations
    • Substantive patent law harmonisation
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • The Tegernsee process
      • Group B+
    • Convergence of practice
    • Options for professional representatives
  • News & events
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • News
    • Events
    • European Inventor Award
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • The meaning of tomorrow
      • About the award
      • Categories and prizes
      • Meet the inventors
      • Nominations
      • European Inventor Network
        • Go back
        • 2024 activities
        • 2025 activities
        • Rules and criteria
        • FAQ
      • The 2024 event
    • Young Inventors Prize
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • About the prize
      • Nominations
      • The jury
      • The world, reimagined
      • The 2025 event
    • Press centre
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Patent Index and statistics
      • Search in press centre
      • Background information
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • European Patent Office
        • Q&A on patents related to coronavirus
        • Q&A on plant patents
      • Copyright
      • Press contacts
      • Call back form
      • Email alert service
    • In focus
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Water-related technologies
      • CodeFest
        • Go back
        • CodeFest Spring 2025 on classifying patent data for sustainable development
        • Overview
        • CodeFest 2024 on generative AI
        • CodeFest 2023 on Green Plastics
      • Green tech in focus
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • About green tech
        • Renewable energies
        • Energy transition technologies
        • Building a greener future
      • Research institutes
      • Women inventors
      • Lifestyle
      • Space and satellites
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Patents and space technologies
      • Healthcare
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Medical technologies and cancer
        • Personalised medicine
      • Materials science
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Nanotechnology
      • Mobile communications
      • Biotechnology
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Red, white or green
        • The role of the EPO
        • What is patentable?
        • Biotech inventors
      • Classification
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Nanotechnology
        • Climate change mitigation technologies
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • External partners
          • Updates on Y02 and Y04S
      • Digital technologies
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • About ICT
        • Hardware and software
        • Artificial intelligence
        • Fourth Industrial Revolution
      • Additive manufacturing
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • About AM
        • AM innovation
      • Books by EPO experts
    • Podcast
  • Learning
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • Learning activities and paths
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Learning activities: types and formats
      • Learning paths
    • EQE and EPAC
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • EQE - European Qualifying Examination
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Compendium
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Paper F
          • Paper A
          • Paper B
          • Paper C
          • Paper D
          • Pre-examination
        • Candidates successful in the European qualifying examination
        • Archive
      • EPAC - European patent administration certification
      • CSP – Candidate Support Programme
    • Learning resources by area of interest
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Patent granting
      • Technology transfer and dissemination
      • Patent enforcement and litigation
    • Learning resources by profile
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Business and IP managers
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Innovation case studies
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • SME case studies
          • Technology transfer case studies
          • High-growth technology case studies
        • Inventor's handbook
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Introduction
          • Disclosure and confidentiality
          • Novelty and prior art
          • Competition and market potential
          • Assessing the risk ahead
          • Proving the invention
          • Protecting your idea
          • Building a team and seeking funding
          • Business planning
          • Finding and approaching companies
          • Dealing with companies
        • Best of search matters
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Tools and databases
          • EPO procedures and initiatives
          • Search strategies
          • Challenges and specific topics
        • Support for high-growth technology businesses
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Business decision-makers
          • IP professionals
          • Stakeholders of the Innovation Ecosystem
      • EQE and EPAC Candidates
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Paper F brain-teasers
        • Daily D questions
        • European qualifying examination - Guide for preparation
        • EPAC
      • Judges, lawyers and prosecutors
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Compulsory licensing in Europe
        • The jurisdiction of European courts in patent disputes
      • National offices and IP authorities
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Learning material for examiners of national officers
        • Learning material for formalities officers and paralegals
      • Patent attorneys and paralegals
      • Universities, research centres and TTOs
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Modular IP Education Framework (MIPEF)
        • Pan-European Seal Young Professionals Programme
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • For students
          • For universities
            • Go back
            • Overview
            • IP education resources
            • University memberships
          • Our young professionals
          • Professional development plan
        • Academic Research Programme
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Completed research projects
          • Current research projects
        • IP Teaching Kit
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Download modules
        • Intellectual property course design manual
        • PATLIB Knowledge Transfer to Africa
          • Go back
          • The PATLIB Knowledge Transfer to Africa initiative (KT2A)
          • KT2A core activities
          • Success story: Malawi University of Science and Technology and PATLIB Birmingham
  • About us
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • The EPO at a glance
    • 50 years of the EPC
      • Go back
      • Official celebrations
      • Overview
      • Member states’ video statements
        • Go back
        • Albania
        • Austria
        • Belgium
        • Bulgaria
        • Croatia
        • Cyprus
        • Czech Republic
        • Denmark
        • Estonia
        • Finland
        • France
        • Germany
        • Greece
        • Hungary
        • Iceland
        • Ireland
        • Italy
        • Latvia
        • Liechtenstein
        • Lithuania
        • Luxembourg
        • Malta
        • Monaco
        • Montenegro
        • Netherlands
        • North Macedonia
        • Norway
        • Poland
        • Portugal
        • Romania
        • San Marino
        • Serbia
        • Slovakia
        • Slovenia
        • Spain
        • Sweden
        • Switzerland
        • Türkiye
        • United Kingdom
      • 50 Leading Tech Voices
      • Athens Marathon
      • Kids’ collaborative art competition
    • Legal foundations and member states
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Legal foundations
      • Member states
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Member states by date of accession
      • Extension states
      • Validation states
    • Administrative Council and subsidiary bodies
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Communiqués
        • Go back
        • 2024
        • Overview
        • 2023
        • 2022
        • 2021
        • 2020
        • 2019
        • 2018
        • 2017
        • 2016
        • 2015
        • 2014
        • 2013
      • Calendar
      • Documents and publications
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Select Committee documents
      • Administrative Council
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Composition
        • Representatives
        • Rules of Procedure
        • Board of Auditors
        • Secretariat
        • Council bodies
    • Principles & strategy
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Mission, vision, values & corporate policy
      • Strategic Plan 2028
        • Go back
        • Driver 1: People
        • Driver 2: Technologies
        • Driver 3: High-quality, timely products and services
        • Driver 4: Partnerships
        • Driver 5: Financial sustainability
      • Towards a New Normal
      • Data protection & privacy notice
    • Leadership & management
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • About the President
      • Management Advisory Committee
    • Sustainability at the EPO
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Environmental
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Inspiring environmental inventions
      • Social
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Inspiring social inventions
      • Governance and Financial sustainability
    • Procurement
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Procurement forecast
      • Doing business with the EPO
      • Procurement procedures
      • Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) publications
      • Sustainable Procurement Policy
      • About eTendering
      • Invoicing
      • Procurement portal
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • e-Signing contracts
      • General conditions
      • Archived tenders
    • Services & activities
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Our services & structure
      • Quality
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Foundations
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • European Patent Convention
          • Guidelines for examination
          • Our staff
        • Enabling quality
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Prior art
          • Classification
          • Tools
          • Processes
        • Products & services
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Search
          • Examination
          • Opposition
          • Continuous improvement
        • Quality through networking
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • User engagement
          • Co-operation
          • User satisfaction survey
          • Stakeholder Quality Assurance Panels
        • Patent Quality Charter
        • Quality Action Plan
        • Quality dashboard
        • Statistics
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Search
          • Examination
          • Opposition
        • Integrated management at the EPO
      • Consulting our users
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Standing Advisory Committee before the EPO (SACEPO)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Objectives
          • SACEPO and its working parties
          • Meetings
          • Single Access Portal – SACEPO Area
        • Surveys
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Detailed methodology
          • Search services
          • Examination services, final actions and publication
          • Opposition services
          • Formalities services
          • Customer services
          • Filing services
          • Key Account Management (KAM)
          • Website
          • Archive
      • Our user service charter
      • European and international co-operation
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Co-operation with member states
          • Go back
          • Overview
        • Bilateral co-operation with non-member states
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Validation system
          • Reinforced Partnership programme
        • Multilateral international co-operation with IP offices and organisations
        • Co-operation with international organisations outside the IP system
      • European Patent Academy
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Partners
      • Chief Economist
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Economic studies
      • Ombuds Office
      • Reporting wrongdoing
    • Observatory on Patents and Technology
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Innovation against cancer
      • Innovation actors
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Startups and SMEs
      • Policy and funding
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Financing innovation programme
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Our studies on the financing of innovation
          • EPO initiatives for patent applicants
          • Financial support for innovators in Europe
        • Patents and standards
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Publications
          • Patent standards explorer
      • Tools
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Deep Tech Finder
      • About the Observatory
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Work plan
    • Transparency portal
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • General
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Annual Review 2023
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Foreword
          • Executive summary
          • 50 years of the EPC
          • Strategic key performance indicators
          • Goal 1: Engaged and empowered
          • Goal 2: Digital transformation
          • Goal 3: Master quality
          • Goal 4: Partner for positive impact
          • Goal 5: Secure sustainability
        • Annual Review 2022
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Foreword
          • Executive summary
          • Goal 1: Engaged and empowered
          • Goal 2: Digital transformation
          • Goal 3: Master quality
          • Goal 4: Partner for positive impact
          • Goal 5: Secure sustainability
      • Human
      • Environmental
      • Organisational
      • Social and relational
      • Economic
      • Governance
    • Statistics and trends
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Statistics & Trends Centre
      • Patent Index 2024
        • Go back
        • Insight into computer technology and AI
        • Insight into clean energy technologies
        • Statistics and indicators
          • Go back
          • European patent applications
            • Go back
            • Key trend
            • Origin
            • Top 10 technical fields
              • Go back
              • Computer technology
              • Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
              • Digital communication
              • Medical technology
              • Transport
              • Measurement
              • Biotechnology
              • Pharmaceuticals
              • Other special machines
              • Organic fine chemistry
            • All technical fields
          • Applicants
            • Go back
            • Top 50
            • Categories
            • Women inventors
          • Granted patents
            • Go back
            • Key trend
            • Origin
            • Designations
      • Data to download
      • EPO Data Hub
      • Clarification on data sources
    • History
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • 1970s
      • 1980s
      • 1990s
      • 2000s
      • 2010s
      • 2020s
    • Art collection
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • The collection
      • Let's talk about art
      • Artists
      • Media library
      • What's on
      • Publications
      • Contact
      • Culture Space A&T 5-10
        • Go back
        • Catalyst lab & Deep vision
          • Go back
          • Irene Sauter (DE)
          • AVPD (DK)
          • Jan Robert Leegte (NL)
          • Jānis Dzirnieks (LV) #1
          • Jānis Dzirnieks (LV) #2
          • Péter Szalay (HU)
          • Thomas Feuerstein (AT)
          • Tom Burr (US)
          • Wolfgang Tillmans (DE)
          • TerraPort
          • Unfinished Sculpture - Captives #1
          • Deep vision – immersive exhibition
          • Previous exhibitions
        • The European Patent Journey
        • Sustaining life. Art in the climate emergency
        • Next generation statements
        • Open storage
        • Cosmic bar
      • "Long Night"
  • Boards of Appeal
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • Decisions of the Boards of Appeal
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Recent decisions
      • Selected decisions
    • Information from the Boards of Appeal
    • Procedure
    • Oral proceedings
    • About the Boards of Appeal
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • President of the Boards of Appeal
      • Enlarged Board of Appeal
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Pending referrals (Art. 112 EPC)
        • Decisions sorted by number (Art. 112 EPC)
        • Pending petitions for review (Art. 112a EPC)
        • Decisions on petitions for review (Art. 112a EPC)
      • Technical Boards of Appeal
      • Legal Board of Appeal
      • Disciplinary Board of Appeal
      • Presidium
        • Go back
        • Overview
    • Code of Conduct
    • Business distribution scheme
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Technical boards of appeal by IPC in 2025
      • Archive
    • Annual list of cases
    • Communications
    • Annual reports
      • Go back
      • Overview
    • Publications
      • Go back
      • Abstracts of decisions
    • Case Law of the Boards of Appeal
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Archive
  • Service & support
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • Website updates
    • Availability of online services
      • Go back
      • Overview
    • FAQ
      • Go back
      • Overview
    • Publications
    • Ordering
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Patent Knowledge Products and Services
      • Terms and conditions
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Patent information products
        • Bulk data sets
        • Open Patent Services (OPS)
        • Fair use charter
    • Procedural communications
    • Useful links
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Patent offices of member states
      • Other patent offices
      • Directories of patent attorneys
      • Patent databases, registers and gazettes
      • Disclaimer
    • Contact us
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Filing options
      • Locations
    • Subscription centre
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Subscribe
      • Change preferences
      • Unsubscribe
    • Official holidays
    • Glossary
    • RSS feeds
Board of Appeals
Decisions

Recent decisions

Overview
  • 2025 decisions
  • 2024 decisions
  • 2023 decisions
  1. Home
  2. T 1663/13 14-07-2016
Facebook X Linkedin Email

T 1663/13 14-07-2016

European Case Law Identifier
ECLI:EP:BA:2016:T166313.20160714
Date of decision
14 July 2016
Case number
T 1663/13
Petition for review of
-
Application number
06291197.9
IPC class
A23L 2/60
A23L 1/29
A23L 1/30
A23F 3/40
Language of proceedings
EN
Distribution
NO DISTRIBUTION (D)

Download and more information:

Decision in EN 365.1 KB
Documentation of the appeal procedure can be found in the European Patent Register
Bibliographic information is available in:
EN
Versions
Unpublished
Application title

Improved beverage

Applicant name

Unilever PLC

Unilever N.V.

Opponent name
ALLIED PATENTS B.V.
Board
3.3.09
Headnote
-
Relevant legal provisions
European Patent Convention Art 104(1)
European Patent Convention R 88(2)
Rules of procedure of the Boards of Appeal Art 16(1)
Rules of procedure of the Boards of Appeal Art 16(2)
Keywords

Request for postponing oral proceedings (rejected)

Apportionment of costs - non-attendance at oral proceedings (allowed)

Catchword
-
Cited decisions
T 0490/05
T 1617/12
T 0784/14
Citing decisions
T 0301/12
T 0040/17
T 1484/19
T 1310/19
T 1087/20
T 1549/22

I. This decision concerns the apportionment of costs relating to the appeal filed by the opponent against the decision of the opposition division to reject the opposition against European patent No. 1 886 585.

II. With its notice of opposition, the opponent had requested revocation of the patent in its entirety on the grounds under Article 100(a) EPC (lack of novelty and inventive step) and Article 100(b) EPC.

III. The opposition division summoned for oral proceedings to be held on 12 December 2012 (communication of 8 June 2012). On 11 December 2012, the opponent informed the opposition division that it would not be attending the oral proceedings, which were then cancelled.

IV. In its decision, which was issued in writing on 15 May 2013, the opposition division rejected the opposition and, in view of the fact that the opponent had informed the EPO only at a very late stage that it would not be attending the oral proceedings, decided that the proprietor's request for apportionment of costs was justified and ordered that its travel and accommodation costs be borne in full by the opponent.

V. On 25 July 2013, the opponent filed an appeal. With the statement of grounds of appeal, submitted on 16 September 2013, the opponent requested that the decision under appeal be set aside and that the patent be revoked, and that otherwise oral proceedings be appointed. The opponent did not appeal the opposition division's decision on the apportionment of costs.

VI. With letter of 20 January 2014, the proprietor filed its response to the statement of grounds of appeal, and requested that the appeal be dismissed or that the patent be maintained on the basis of any of the first to sixth auxiliary requests filed with the same letter.

VII. In its preliminary opinion issued on 23 July 2014, the board observed that the opponent's statement of grounds of appeal merely repeated its arguments presented in the notice of opposition, without in any way addressing the decision under appeal. As a result, the appeal did not appear sufficiently reasoned as required by Article 108 EPC, and would therefore most likely have to be held inadmissible. In view of this, if oral proceedings were held, they would most likely be confined to the admissibility of the appeal. The board specifically asked whether the opponent's request for oral proceedings was maintained, and set a time limit of two months for filing any reply to its communication.

VIII. With fax dated 24 September 2014, the opponent requested a two-month extension of the time limit for replying to the board's communication, which was granted. However, instead of providing a response within the extended time limit, the opponent requested a further extension (fax dated 1 December 2014), which was refused.

IX. On 18 December 2014, having received no reply from the opponent either on the merits of the case or to its question as to whether the request for oral proceedings was maintained, the board issued a summons to oral proceedings to be held on Monday, 27 July 2015.

X. On Friday, 24 July 2015, the opponent withdrew its request for oral proceedings and its appeal (fax received at 14.04 hrs). On the same day, the board cancelled the oral proceedings.

XI. Since the opponent has withdrawn its appeal, the board will continue to refer to the parties as the proprietor and the opponent.

XII. With letter dated 5 August 2015, the proprietor requested

- fixing of the amount of costs ordered by the opposition division in accordance with Rule 88(2) EPC;

- an apportionment of costs in the appeal proceedings, requiring the opponent to bear in full the non-recoverable travel expenses incurred due to the cancelled oral proceedings, as well as the attorney costs for preparing for them;

- fixing of the amount of costs incurred in the appeal proceedings in accordance with Rule 88(2) EPC.

The proprietor's letter contained several documents regarding costs incurred during the opposition and the appeal proceedings, including:

K1: Evidence of the costs paid for the booked flights of Ms Askew from London to Munich and back;

K2: Evidence of the costs paid for the booked flight of Mr van den Brom from Amsterdam to Munich; and

K3: Evidence of the costs paid for the booked flight of Mr van den Brom from Munich to Amsterdam.

XIII. By its communication dated 5 November 2015, the board informed the parties of its preliminary opinion on the proprietor's requests on apportionment of costs, and in particular that it appeared to be equitable for the opponent to bear the cost of four working days' preparation time for the oral proceedings before the board, plus the proprietor's travel expenses in full. The amount of these costs was considered to be 8506.73 ¤ and 277.58 £.

XIV. With letter dated 15 January 2016, the opponent's representative gave reasons for his "actions and lack thereof" during the appeal proceedings and requested that

- the proprietor's request for apportionment of costs incurred during the appeal proceedings be refused;

- subsidiarily, that only hotel and travel costs be apportioned (NB: hotel costs were only an issue in the opposition proceedings, so in the following only travel costs are addressed),

- also subsidiarily, that only 0.85 days for preparing the oral proceedings be apportioned; and

- that the opponent be asked to make further submissions if the above requests were to be refused.

XV. By its communication dated 28 January 2016, the board summoned the parties to oral proceedings to be held on 14 July 2016, and by subsequent communication dated 25 April 2016 observed that the apportionment of costs per se and the actual amount to be paid, if apportionment of costs were granted, would be discussed during the oral proceedings.

XVI. With its letter dated 9 June 2016, the proprietor announced that it would not be attending the oral proceedings and requested that the opponent be ordered to pay 8506.73 ¤ and 277.58 £ in line with the board's preliminary opinion.

XVII. On 13 July 2016, the registrar of the board contacted the opponent's representative by telephone to inquire whether he would be attending the oral proceedings on the next day. Subsequently, by fax dated 13 July 2016, the opponent requested that the scheduled oral proceedings be postponed.

1. Since the only appealing party has withdrawn its appeal, the present decision is confined to the issue of the late-filed request for postponement of the oral proceedings and the apportionment of costs.

2. Request for postponement

2.1 In the light of the history of the file, the registrar of the board phoned the opponent's representative on 13 July 2016 to query whether he would be attending the oral proceedings scheduled for the next day.

Following this telephone conversation, the opponent's representative informed the board by fax that he was unable to attend the oral proceedings and requested that they be postponed.

2.2 He gave the following reasons for this request:

"I have two reasons [for not attending the oral proceedings], one coming from the same reason ... that prevented me last year to attend, the other being a medical one ... , emanating from the first one" (insertion in square brackets by the board).

2.2.1 No evidence whatsoever was provided, e.g. a medical certificate, to support these grounds for postponement. Since the request is thus entirely unsubstantiated, it is not allowable.

2.2.2 Furthermore, according to the notice of the Vice-President of Directorate-General 3 of the European Patent Office dated 16 July 2007 concerning oral proceedings before the boards of appeal of the EPO (OJ EPO 2007, Special Edition No. 3, 115), a precondition for a request for postponement to be allowable is that it is filed as soon as possible after the grounds preventing the party concerned from attending the oral proceedings have arisen. This precondition is not met in the present case. As acknowledged by the opponent's representative, the reasons that prevented him from attending the oral proceedings were, or followed on from, an event that occurred at least as early as last year. Also for this reason, the request to postpone the oral proceedings is not allowable.

2.3 The opponent's representative further argued that he had assumed that the case was closed and therefore had only recently become aware that oral proceedings had been scheduled.

However, this assertion does not withstand scrutiny.

With its communication of 5 November 2015, the board had already informed the parties of its preliminary opinion about the apportionment and fixing of costs. The opponent's representative replied to this communication with its letter dated 15 January 2016; he was thus aware that the issue of costs was still outstanding and that the case was not closed as regards this issue.

Furthermore, the opponent's representative was also aware of the summons to oral proceedings scheduled for 14 July 2016. This was issued on 28 January 2016 and an acknowledgement of receipt was signed by the opponent's representative on 3 February 2016.

Lastly, with its communication dated 25 April 2016, the board informed the parties that the issue of costs would be discussed during these oral proceedings.

The assumption that the case was closed and the claim of only recently becoming aware of the scheduled oral proceedings thus do not hold in view of the facts of the case.

2.4 The opponent's representative additionally argued that the oral proceedings should be postponed in order to give the parties time to communicate. This reason is not amongst those mentioned in the aforementioned Vice-President's notice, which makes it effectively irrelevant. It is also unfounded, since the opponent has had almost one year to discuss the sole outstanding issue of costs with the proprietor.

2.5 Therefore, the board decided to reject the request to postpone the oral proceedings.

3. The proprietor's request for fixing the amount of costs apportioned by the opposition division

The proprietor's request for fixing the amount of costs incurred in opposition proceedings has to be dealt with by the opposition division in accordance with Rule 88(2) EPC (see Guidelines, D.II-7 for the exact procedure to be followed). Thus, this request has to be filed with the opposition division.

4. The proprietor's request for apportionment of costs in the appeal proceedings

4.1 The proprietor requested that costs incurred for preparing the oral proceedings before the board, including its travel expenses, be borne by the opponent. The opponent requested - as a main request - that this request be refused or, subsidiarily, that only travel costs be apportioned.

4.1.1 As set out above, the opponent waited until the last working day before the oral proceedings scheduled for 27 July 2015 to withdraw both its request for oral proceedings and its appeal, thus rendering the oral proceedings unnecessary, so that they were cancelled.

This in itself is not necessarily a reason for apportioning costs. For instance, in T 490/05, no costs were apportioned against a proprietor which had withdrawn its request that the appealed decision be set aside, which amounted in substance to a withdrawal of its appeal, one day before the scheduled oral proceedings. In that decision, the board held inter alia that an apportionment of costs would not be equitable, since the advantages for the opponent of the proprietor's withdrawal of the appeal outweighed the costs arising due to the lateness of the withdrawal; furthermore, the withdrawal of a party's appeal was an expression of the principle of party disposition which should not be restricted, even implicitly, by the threat of an apportionment of costs.

The present board fully supports these principles and has applied them in cases where the proprietor withdrew its approval of the text of the patent prior to scheduled oral proceedings (see e.g. decisions T 1617/12 and T 784/14).

4.1.2 However, the present case is not simply about withdrawing an appeal on the last working day before scheduled oral proceedings. In the present case

- the opponent did not follow the board's direction to declare whether it maintained its request for oral proceedings in view of the board's negative opinion on the admissibility of the appeal, but instead twice requested an extension of time limit without filing any substantive reply;

- the opponent waited till the last working day to withdraw its appeal and its request for oral proceedings, even though it had known the board's negative opinion for one year and despite the fact that the summons was issued 6 months before the scheduled date for oral proceedings, thus giving it more than enough time to consider withdrawal, and

- the very same pattern of behaviour had already occurred during the opposition proceedings, where again the opponent withdrew its request for oral proceedings on the last working day before the oral proceedings, leading the opposition division to apportion costs against it.

4.1.3 In the light of these circumstances the board considers it equitable to apportion costs in accordance with Article 104(1) EPC in conjunction with Article 111(1) EPC and Article 16(1)(c) and (d) RPBA, both for preparing the oral proceedings and for travel.

4.1.4 The representative argued that due to personal circumstances he was "quite overburdened" and "increasingly able to only react to things that were operational and necessary". He went on to explain that "In light of this motivation, and the reasons leading to remaining completely silent was that this was beyond my capabilities to react upon in the situation; definitively not malicious".

The board does not find the representative's arguments convincing.

Withdrawing the appeal required very little effort on the opponent's part. The opponent actually achieved this with a letter dated 24 July 2015 containing one single sentence: "Due to reasons of a personal nature, I herewith indicate to withdraw the request for oral proceedings and the appeal". It is not credible to the board that the opponent's personal circumstances were such that he had no time to draft this single sentence earlier than one working day before the date scheduled for the oral proceedings.

Furthermore, the opponent's assertion that he was not behaving maliciously is beside the point. The board's view is that an apportionment of costs is equitable not necessarily on the basis of an abuse of procedure (Article 16(1)(e) RPBA) but, as set out above, in view of acts or omissions prejudicing the timely and efficient conduct of oral proceedings (Article 16(1)(c) RPBA) and due to failure to comply with a direction of the board (Article 16(1)(d) RPBA).

4.1.5 The opponent furthermore argued that the appeal had been filed to give an outside "protégé to be patent attorney" (i.e. a trainee patent attorney) the chance to test his arguments but that this had never been feasible since the appeal had been deemed inadmissible, an issue only the opponent's representative could deal with.

The board fails to see how this argument can support the opponent's case as regards the apportionment of costs. No matter whether work is done by a professional representative or by a trainee under his supervision, there is an obligation to avoid acts or omissions prejudicing the timely and efficient conduct of oral proceedings and to comply with the board's directions.

4.1.6 Lastly, the opponent argued that the proprietor had filed its request for apportionment of costs late, since it did not file it during the oral proceedings scheduled for 27 July 2015. But these oral proceedings were cancelled when the opponent withdrew its appeal. In fact, the proprietor submitted its request for apportionment of costs with its letter dated 5 August 2015, i.e. just seven days after the date of the communication cancelling the oral proceedings and thus at the earliest possible point in time.

4.1.7 The above conclusion (point 4.1.3) that it is equitable to apportion the costs incurred by the proprietor for preparing the oral proceedings before the board and for travel expenses remains valid. The opponent's request that no costs or only travel costs be apportioned is thus rejected.

4.2 The opponent also requested subsidiarily that only the costs for 0.85 days of preparation time be apportioned.

4.2.1 In its letter of 5 August 2015 (second table on page 5), the proprietor initially claimed 7.5 days for preparing the oral proceedings, including time for familiarising himself with the commercial context of the case, the patent and its claims, the prosecution history, the opposition history and decision, the grounds of appeal and the cited prior art. As explained in the board's communication of 5 November 2015, these activities were not part of preparing for the oral proceedings before the board and thus do not give rise to costs that are to be apportioned to the opponent. Thus, the only costs that can be taken into account are those arising out of actual preparation for the appeal hearing, namely twice 0.5 attorney days for studying the preliminary opinion of the board and reviewing relevant case law, and twice 1.5 attorney days for final preparation for the hearing (see table on page 5 of the proprietor's letter dated 5 August 2015), i.e. four days in total.

4.2.2 To justify its request that only 0.85 days be apportioned, the opponent argued as follows:

"The proprietor provided a statement that twice 0.5 days were used for studying admissibility, at least partly, as it said (especially regarding admissibility). However, 3.5 days were argued to be spent regarding substantive aspects and as indicated less one day regarding admissibility. Thus, at maximum the same ration of the 3 days of preparation could be awarded, viz. 1/3.5 x 3 = 0.85 day of the 4 day as yet awarded.

Also the results of this mostly theoretical aspect of the work became part of the experience of the staff that the proprietor benefits from, as opposed to when outside attorneys would have been hired.

Any proprietor is expected to expect costs of opposition, which is included in the general work of employees. There was no work for het [sic] department very specific for this case, nor costs beyond the accepted costs above."

The board is unable to follow the logic of the opponent's calculation, and in particular does not see anything wrong with the costs claimed by the proprietor for four days of preparation for the oral proceedings.

Furthermore, the argument that in-house attorneys are expected to address any issue as part of their everyday work, thus incurring no extra costs, or that they acquire useful in-house knowledge through dealing with unusual issues, thereby creating "added value" for the company compared to outside attorneys, is irrelevant.

The opponent furthermore argued that "It is accepted that personal annoyance at the side of the proprietor played part in this case, which could have been prevented by a simple contact request as well."

This argument is not persuasive either and appears rather misplaced. The proprietor could not foresee that the opponent would not attend the oral proceedings; after all it was informed of that only one working day before the scheduled date. There was thus no reason at all for the proprietor to contact the opponent. The onus actually was on the opponent to contact the proprietor.

The opponent lastly argued that "In case a proprietor is at least partly interested in procedural aspects, this should not be apportioned onto others."

This argument is inappropriate. The criteria for apportioning of costs are entirely unrelated to whether a party is interested in the work for which costs are to be apportioned.

4.3 In summary, the request to apportion the costs of four working days for preparing the oral proceedings of 27 July 2015, and the related travel expenses, is justified.

5. The proprietor's request for fixing the amount of costs to be apportioned in appeal proceedings

5.1 According to Article 16(1) RPBA the board may, on request, order a party to pay some or all of another party's costs. Pursuant to Article 16(2) RPBA the costs ordered to be paid may inter alia be expressed as a specific sum, in which case the board's decision is a final decision for the purposes of Article 104(3) EPC. The costs are to be limited to those necessarily and reasonably incurred (Article 16(2), last sentence, RPBA). K1, K2 and K3 show that the proprietor incurred travel expenses

- for Ms Askew's flights from London to Munich and back: 273.08 £ and 4.50 £, i.e. 277.58 £;

- for Mr van den Brom's flight from Amsterdam to Munich: 266.53 ¤; and

- from Munich back to Amsterdam: 378.91 ¤ + 7.50 ¤ + 93.98 ¤ / 2, i.e. 240.20 ¤.

5.2 As set out in point 4.2 above, the proprietor's attorneys spent four days (twice 0.5 and twice 1.5 days) preparating the oral proceedings before the board, at an attorney cost of 2000 ¤ per day, i.e. 8000 ¤ in total.

5.3 The board considers the travel expenses of 277.58 £ and 506.73 ¤ sufficiently proven. Furthermore, the board considers it reasonable that attorney costs of 8000 ¤ were incurred in preparing for the oral proceedings.

5.4 In view of the above, the amount to be paid by the opponent to the proprietor is 8506.73 ¤ and 277.58 £.

6. The request to be asked to make further submissions

6.1 The opponent requested in its letter dated 15 January 2016 that it be asked to make further submissions if his requests as regards apportionment of costs were refused.

6.2 The opponent has had the opportunity to comment on the board's preliminary opinion on the apportionment of costs. There is no obligation on the board to offer a party a second opportunity to provide comments.

In fact, subsequent to the opponent's letter, namely with its communication dated 28 January 2016, the board scheduled oral proceedings for 14 July 2016. It has thus given the opponent the opportunity to make further submissions, albeit orally. The board has therefore actually granted the opponent's request. That the opponent chose not to use this opportunity because it declined to attend the oral proceedings is irrelevant.

Order

For these reasons it is decided that:

1. The costs incurred by the respondent/proprietor for preparing the oral proceedings of 27 July 2015, corresponding to four working days, and the related travel expenses are to be borne in full by the appellant/opponent.

2. The amount of the costs to be paid is fixed at 8506.73 ¤ (eight thousand five hundred and six euros and seventy-three cents) and 277.58 £ (two hundred and seventy-seven pounds sterling and fifty eight pence).

Footer - Service & support
  • Service & support
    • Website updates
    • Availability of online services
    • FAQ
    • Publications
    • Procedural communications
    • Contact us
    • Subscription centre
    • Official holidays
    • Glossary
Footer - More links
  • Jobs & careers
  • Press centre
  • Single Access Portal
  • Procurement
  • Boards of Appeal
Facebook
European Patent Office
EPO Jobs
Instagram
EuropeanPatentOffice
Linkedin
European Patent Office
EPO Jobs
EPO Procurement
X (formerly Twitter)
EPOorg
EPOjobs
Youtube
TheEPO
Footer
  • Legal notice
  • Terms of use
  • Data protection and privacy
  • Accessibility