3. Citations

(a) Generally, for all legislative provisions only superseded legislation will indicate the year. The text of the EPC as revised in 2000 and which entered into force in 2007 is cited without the attribute "2000". The text valid before that is cited as "EPC 1973". The Rules of Procedure of the Boards of Appeal in the revised version of 2020 (see OJ 2019, A63), including its subsequently amended articles, are cited as "RPBA". The Rules of Procedure of the Boards of Appeal in the version of 2007 (see OJ 2007, 536) are cited as "RPBA 2007". Prior versions are cited by the year of their entry into force. Please see the EPO website for the most up-to-date version of the EPC.

(b) The Official Journal of the EPO is cited as OJ, followed by the year of publication and page number for publication prior to 2014 (e.g. OJ 2000, 322) and as OJ, followed by the year of publication and article for publication as of 2014 (e.g. OJ 2015, A102).

(c) If a decision of a board of appeal has been published in the OJ the reference is provided at its first mention in a chapter. Thereafter the OJ reference is generally omitted and is repeated for clarity reasons within the same chapter or sub-chapter as required. If a decision has not been published in the OJ, only the case number is cited.

(e) If more than one decision shares the same appeal number, the date of the decision is provided in addition.

(f) Previous editions of the "Case Law of the Boards of Appeal" publication are cited as "CLB, xth edn."