Annual Report 2021 of the Boards of Appeal of the European Patent Office
The Annual Report 2021 of the Boards of Appeal of the European Patent Office was published today. It is available in English, French and German on the Boards' website.
Last year was again shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Boards of Appeal successfully adapted to this situation by amending their working methods to guarantee continued access to justice while at the same time contributing to the containment of the pandemic. Conducting oral proceedings by videoconference and teleworking have been pivotal for ensuring the seamless continuation of the Boards' judicial work without exposing parties, representatives, and board members to avoidable health risks. This has also accelerated digital transformation and paperless working, which contributes to environmental sustainability. Staff adapted impressively to these significant changes in their working conditions.
A record number of 1720 oral proceedings were held by the Boards in 2021, 76% of which were conducted using videoconferencing technology. 2938 cases were settled with action, which represents a productivity increase of 11.1% over 2020. The number of pending cases before the Boards of Appeal was reduced by 13.9% to 7131 cases.
Contact
Nikolaus Obrovski
Jeannine Hoppe
Spokespersons of the Boards of Appeal
Boards of Appeal of the European Patent Office
Richard-Reitzner-Allee 8 | 85540 Haar | Germany
boa-press@epo.org
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