Procedure of the Boards of Appeal
Proceedings before the Boards of Appeal are grounded in the legal framework of the EPC and updated with regular Official Journal publications. The appeals procedure is governed by:
The European Patent Convention
Acceleration of appeal proceedings
Acceleration of appeal proceedings may be requested by a party, a national court or other competent authority in an EPC contracting state or the Unified Patent Court. Proceedings may also be accelerated by a board of its own motion (Article10(3)-(6)RPBA). Please consult the notice from the Boards of Appeal on accelerating proceedings for further information.
The Official Journal
The Official Journal (OJ) is the source of general information and notices from the EPO, and of other information relevant to the EPC or its implementation. Information such as decisions and notices of the President of the Boards of Appeal and of the Presidium of the Boards of Appeal, Rules of Procedure of the Boards of Appeal, referrals to and decisions and opinions by the Enlarged Board of Appeal and Business Distribution Schemes are also included.
Case Law of the Boards of Appeal
Important decisions concerning proceedings before the Boards of Appeal are summarised in the publication "Case Law of the Boards of Appeal".
Oral proceedings
See the schedule of oral proceedings
FAQ
Information about the appeal procedure for appellants and other parties
Frequently asked questions