3.1 Documents filed after filing the international application 

Any paper document submitted by the applicant in the course of the international procedure, other than the international application itself, must, if not itself in the form of a letter, be accompanied by a letter identifying the international application to which it relates. All letters must be signed by the applicant or by a duly appointed agent or common representative. A deemed common representative is entitled to sign on behalf of the co-applicants with the only exception of notices of withdrawal.

A demand for international preliminary examination shall must be signed by the applicant or, if there is more than one applicant, by all applicants. If the signature of one or more applicants is missing, the EPO as IPEA will not invite the applicant(s) to furnish the missing signature(s) provided that at least one of the applicants has signed the demand. The signature by one of the applicants is thus considered sufficient. It is also possible for (common) agents or common representatives to sign a demand on behalf of the applicant(s) who appointed them. Where the demand is signed by a (common) agent the EPO as IPEA will not invite the applicant(s) to file a (separate) power of attorney or a copy of a general power of attorney since the EPO has waived these requirements. A deemed common representative is entitled to sign on behalf of the co-applicants with the only exception of notice of withdrawal.