A If the proprietor has their residence or principal place of business in an EPC contracting state, the request for unitary effect may be signed by:
- the proprietor(s) themself(if residence or principal place of business is in an EPC contracting state)
- a professional representative (Rule 20(1) UPR in conjunction with Art. 134(1) EPC), in which case no authorisation needs to be filed) or
- a legal practitioner (Rule 20(1) UPR in conjunction with Art. 134(8) EPC), in which case no authorisation needs to be filed or
- a duly authorised employee (Rule 20(1) UPR in conjunction with Art. 133(3), first sentence, EPC), in which case an authorisation needs to be filed.
If the proprietor is a legal person and the request is not signed by a professional representative or a legal practitioner entitled to act as such under Rule 20(1) UPR in conjunction with Art. 134(1) or (8) EPC, it must be signed by:
- (a) either by a person entitled to sign by law, by the proprietor's articles of association or equivalent or by a special mandate, with an indication of that person's position within the legal entity, e.g. Geschäftsführer, Prokurist, Handlungsbevollmächtigter; chairperson, director, company secretary; directeur, fondé de pouvoir (Art. 133(1) EPC), in which case no authorisation need be filed; or
- (b) or, if the legal person's principal place of business is in a contracting state, by anotheran employee under Rule 20(1) UPR in conjunction withunder Art. 133(3), first sentence, EPC (Rule 152(1) to (3) EPC), in which case an authorisation must be filed.
A proprietor who has neither a residence nor a principal place of business within the territory of an EPC contracting state must be represented and act through a representative (Rule 20(1) UPR in conjunction with Art. 133(2) EPC). In the case of such proprietors, the request must be signed by:
- a professional representative (Rule 20(1) UPR in conjunction with Art. 134(1) EPC), in which case no authorisation needs to be filed or
- a legal practitioner (Rule 20(1) UPR in conjunction with Art. 134(8) EPC), in which case no authorisation needs to be filed.
For authorisations, see 8.2.4.