d) Oral proceedings held by videoconference as an "often equivalent alternative" to in-person oral proceedings 

Since late 2022, some decisions have stated that oral proceedings by videoconference are an equivalent alternative to oral proceedings in person. Examples of this case law are provided below.

In T 1158/20 the board established that holding oral proceedings by videoconference can meanwhile often be considered an equivalent alternative to oral proceedings in person, among others because since G 1/21 date: 2021-07-16 the boards and the parties had gained extensive experience with videoconferencing and using the tools involved. The technical requirements had been met on the boards' side but also on the side of the representatives to allow for stable videoconferences with high-quality picture and sound such that holding oral proceedings by videoconference was no longer as far from the "gold standard" as it had been when decision G 1/21 date: 2021-07-16 had been taken (see also T 758/20).