HomeHome
 
  • Homepage
  • Searching for patents

    Patent knowledge

    Access our patent databases and search tools.

    Go to overview 

    • Overview
    • Technical information
      • Overview
      • Espacenet - patent search
      • European Publication Server
      • EP full-text search
    • Legal information
      • Overview
      • European Patent Register
      • European Patent Bulletin
      • European Case Law Identifier sitemap
      • Third-party observations
    • Business information
      • Overview
      • PATSTAT
      • IPscore
      • Technology insight reports
    • Data
      • Overview
      • Technology Intelligence Platform
      • Linked open EP data
      • Bulk data sets
      • Web services
      • Coverage, codes and statistics
    • Technology platforms
      • Overview
      • Plastics in transition
      • Water innovation
      • Space innovation
      • Technologies combatting cancer
      • Firefighting technologies
      • Clean energy technologies
      • Fighting coronavirus
    • Helpful resources
      • Overview
      • First time here?
      • Asian patent information
      • Patent information centres
      • Patent Translate
      • Patent Knowledge News
      • Business and statistics
      • Unitary Patent information in patent knowledge
    Image
    Plastics in Transition

    Technology insight report on plastic waste management

  • Applying for a patent

    Applying for a patent

    Practical information on filing and grant procedures.

    Go to overview 

    • Overview
    • European route
      • Overview
      • European Patent Guide
      • Oppositions
      • Oral proceedings
      • Appeals
      • Unitary Patent & Unified Patent Court
      • National validation
      • Request for extension/validation
    • International route (PCT)
      • Overview
      • Euro-PCT Guide – PCT procedure at the EPO
      • EPO decisions and notices
      • PCT provisions and resources
      • Extension/validation request
      • Reinforced partnership programme
      • Accelerating your PCT application
      • Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH)
      • Training and events
    • National route
    • Find a professional representative
    • MyEPO services
      • Overview
      • Understand our services
      • Get access
      • File with us
      • Interact with us on your files
      • Online Filing & fee payment outages
    • Forms
      • Overview
      • Request for examination
    • Fees
      • Overview
      • European fees (EPC)
      • International fees (PCT)
      • Unitary Patent fees (UP)
      • Fee payment and refunds
      • Warning

    UP

    Find out how the Unitary Patent can enhance your IP strategy

  • Law & practice

    Law & practice

    European patent law, the Official Journal and other legal texts.

    Go to overview 

    • Overview
    • Legal texts
      • Overview
      • European Patent Convention
      • Official Journal
      • Guidelines
      • Extension / validation system
      • London Agreement
      • National law relating to the EPC
      • Unitary patent system
      • National measures relating to the Unitary Patent
    • Court practices
      • Overview
      • European Patent Judges' Symposium
    • User consultations
      • Overview
      • Ongoing consultations
      • Completed consultations
    • Substantive patent law harmonisation
      • Overview
      • The Tegernsee process
      • Group B+
    • Convergence of practice
    • Options for professional representatives
    Image
    Law and practice scales 720x237

    Keep up with key aspects of selected BoA decisions with our monthly "Abstracts of decisions”

  • News & events

    News & events

    Our latest news, podcasts and events, including the European Inventor Award.

    Go to overview 

     

    • Overview
    • News
    • Events
    • European Inventor Award
      • Overview
      • The meaning of tomorrow
      • About the award
      • Categories and prizes
      • Meet the finalists
      • Nominations
      • European Inventor Network
      • The 2024 event
    • Young Inventors Prize
      • Overview
      • About the prize
      • Nominations
      • The jury
      • The world, reimagined
    • Press centre
      • Overview
      • Patent Index and statistics
      • Search in press centre
      • Background information
      • Copyright
      • Press contacts
      • Call back form
      • Email alert service
    • Innovation and patenting in focus
      • Overview
      • Water-related technologies
      • CodeFest
      • Green tech in focus
      • Research institutes
      • Women inventors
      • Lifestyle
      • Space and satellites
      • The future of medicine
      • Materials science
      • Mobile communications
      • Biotechnology
      • Patent classification
      • Digital technologies
      • The future of manufacturing
      • Books by EPO experts
    • "Talk innovation" podcast

    Podcast

    From ideas to inventions: tune into our podcast for the latest in tech and IP

  • Learning

    Learning

    The European Patent Academy – the point of access to your learning

    Go to overview 

    • Overview
    • Learning activities and paths
      • Overview
      • Learning activities
      • Learning paths
    • EQE and EPAC
      • Overview
      • EQE - European qualifying examination
      • EPAC - European patent administration certification
      • CSP – Candidate Support Programme
    • Learning resources by area of interest
      • Overview
      • Patent granting
      • Technology transfer and dissemination
      • Patent enforcement and litigation
    • Learning resources by profile
      • Overview
      • Business and IP managers
      • EQE and EPAC Candidates
      • Judges, lawyers and prosecutors
      • National offices and IP authorities
      • Patent attorneys and paralegals
      • Universities, research centres and technology transfer centres (TTOs)
    Image
    Patent Academy catalogue

    Have a look at the extensive range of learning opportunities in the European Patent Academy training catalogue

  • About us

    About us

    Find out more about our work, values, history and vision

    Go to overview 

    • Overview
    • The EPO at a glance
    • 50 years of the EPC
      • Overview
      • Official celebrations
      • Member states’ video statements
      • 50 Leading Tech Voices
      • Athens Marathon
      • Kids’ collaborative art competition
    • Legal foundations and member states
      • Overview
      • Legal foundations
      • Member states of the European Patent Organisation
      • Extension states
      • Validation states
    • Administrative Council and subsidiary bodies
      • Overview
      • Communiqués
      • Calendar
      • Documents and publications
      • Administrative Council
    • Principles & strategy
      • Overview
      • Our mission, vision, values and corporate policy
      • Strategic Plan 2028
      • Towards a New Normal
    • Leadership & management
      • Overview
      • President António Campinos
      • Management Advisory Committee
    • Sustainability at the EPO
      • Overview
      • Environmental
      • Social
      • Governance and Financial sustainability
    • Services & activities
      • Overview
      • Our services & structure
      • Quality
      • Consulting our users
      • European and international co-operation
      • European Patent Academy
      • Chief Economist
      • Ombuds Office
      • Reporting wrongdoing
    • Observatory on Patents and Technology
      • Overview
      • Technologies
      • Innovation actors
      • Policy and funding
      • Tools
      • About the Observatory
    • Procurement
      • Overview
      • Procurement forecast
      • Doing business with the EPO
      • Procurement procedures
      • Sustainable Procurement Policy
      • About eTendering and electronic signatures
      • Procurement portal
      • Invoicing
      • General conditions
      • Archived tenders
    • Transparency portal
      • Overview
      • General
      • Human
      • Environmental
      • Organisational
      • Social and relational
      • Economic
      • Governance
    • Statistics and trends
      • Overview
      • Statistics & Trends Centre
      • Patent Index 2024
      • EPO Data Hub
      • Clarification on data sources
    • History
      • Overview
      • 1970s
      • 1980s
      • 1990s
      • 2000s
      • 2010s
      • 2020s
    • Art collection
      • Overview
      • The collection
      • Let's talk about art
      • Artists
      • Media library
      • What's on
      • Publications
      • Contact
      • Culture Space A&T 5-10
      • "Long Night"
    Image
    Patent Index 2024 keyvisual showing brightly lit up data chip, tinted in purple, bright blue

    Track the latest tech trends with our Patent Index

 
en de fr
  • Language selection
  • English
  • Deutsch
  • Français
Main navigation
  • Homepage
    • Go back
    • New to patents
  • New to patents
    • Go back
    • Your business and patents
    • Why do we have patents?
    • What's your big idea?
    • Are you ready?
    • What to expect
    • How to apply for a patent
    • Is it patentable?
    • Are you first?
    • Patent quiz
    • Unitary patent video
  • Searching for patents
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • Technical information
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Espacenet - patent search
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • National patent office databases
        • Global Patent Index (GPI)
        • Release notes
      • European Publication Server
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Release notes
        • Cross-reference index for Euro-PCT applications
        • EP authority file
        • Help
      • EP full-text search
    • Legal information
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • European Patent Register
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Release notes archive
        • Register documentation
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Deep link data coverage
          • Federated Register
          • Register events
      • European Patent Bulletin
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Download Bulletin
        • EP Bulletin search
        • Help
      • European Case Law Identifier sitemap
      • Third-party observations
    • Business information
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • PATSTAT
      • IPscore
        • Go back
        • Release notes
      • Technology insight reports
    • Data
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Technology Intelligence Platform
      • Linked open EP data
      • Bulk data sets
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Manuals
        • Sequence listings
        • National full-text data
        • European Patent Register data
        • EPO worldwide bibliographic data (DOCDB)
        • EP full-text data
        • EPO worldwide legal event data (INPADOC)
        • EP bibliographic data (EBD)
        • Boards of Appeal decisions
      • Web services
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Open Patent Services (OPS)
        • European Publication Server web service
      • Coverage, codes and statistics
        • Go back
        • Weekly updates
        • Updated regularly
    • Technology platforms
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Plastics in transition
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Plastics waste recovery
        • Plastics waste recycling
        • Alternative plastics
      • Innovation in water technologies
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Clean water
        • Protection from water
      • Space innovation
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Cosmonautics
        • Space observation
      • Technologies combatting cancer
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Prevention and early detection
        • Diagnostics
        • Therapies
        • Wellbeing and aftercare
      • Firefighting technologies
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Detection and prevention of fires
        • Fire extinguishing
        • Protective equipment
        • Post-fire restoration
      • Clean energy technologies
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Renewable energy
        • Carbon-intensive industries
        • Energy storage and other enabling technologies
      • Fighting coronavirus
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Vaccines and therapeutics
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Vaccines
          • Overview of candidate therapies for COVID-19
          • Candidate antiviral and symptomatic therapeutics
          • Nucleic acids and antibodies to fight coronavirus
        • Diagnostics and analytics
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Protein and nucleic acid assays
          • Analytical protocols
        • Informatics
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Bioinformatics
          • Healthcare informatics
        • Technologies for the new normal
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Devices, materials and equipment
          • Procedures, actions and activities
          • Digital technologies
        • Inventors against coronavirus
    • Helpful resources
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • First time here?
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Basic definitions
        • Patent classification
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC)
        • Patent families
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • DOCDB simple patent family
          • INPADOC extended patent family
        • Legal event data
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • INPADOC classification scheme
      • Asian patent information
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • China (CN)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Facts and figures
          • Grant procedure
          • Numbering system
          • Useful terms
          • Searching in databases
        • Chinese Taipei (TW)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Grant procedure
          • Numbering system
          • Useful terms
          • Searching in databases
        • India (IN)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Facts and figures
          • Grant procedure
          • Numbering system
        • Japan (JP)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Facts and figures
          • Grant procedure
          • Numbering system
          • Useful terms
          • Searching in databases
        • Korea (KR)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Facts and figures
          • Grant procedure
          • Numbering system
          • Useful terms
          • Searching in databases
        • Russian Federation (RU)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Facts and figures
          • Numbering system
          • Searching in databases
        • Useful links
      • Patent information centres (PATLIB)
      • Patent Translate
      • Patent Knowledge News
      • Business and statistics
      • Unitary Patent information in patent knowledge
  • Applying for a patent
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • European route
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • European Patent Guide
      • Oppositions
      • Oral proceedings
        • Go back
        • Oral proceedings calendar
          • Go back
          • Calendar
          • Public access to appeal proceedings
          • Public access to opposition proceedings
          • Technical guidelines
      • Appeals
      • Unitary Patent & Unified Patent Court
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Unitary Patent
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Legal framework
          • Main features
          • Applying for a Unitary Patent
          • Cost of a Unitary Patent
          • Translation and compensation
          • Start date
          • Introductory brochures
        • Unified Patent Court
      • National validation
      • Extension/validation request
    • International route
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Euro-PCT Guide
      • Entry into the European phase
      • Decisions and notices
      • PCT provisions and resources
      • Extension/validation request
      • Reinforced partnership programme
      • Accelerating your PCT application
      • Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH)
        • Go back
        • Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) programme outline
      • Training and events
    • National route
    • MyEPO services
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Understand our services
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Exchange data with us using an API
          • Go back
          • Release notes
      • Get access
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Release notes
      • File with us
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • What if our online filing services are down?
        • Release notes
      • Interact with us on your files
        • Go back
        • Release notes
      • Online Filing & fee payment outages
    • Fees
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • European fees (EPC)
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Decisions and notices
      • International fees (PCT)
        • Go back
        • Reduction in fees
        • Fees for international applications
        • Decisions and notices
        • Overview
      • Unitary Patent fees (UP)
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Decisions and notices
      • Fee payment and refunds
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Payment methods
        • Getting started
        • FAQs and other documentation
        • Technical information for batch payments
        • Decisions and notices
        • Release notes
      • Warning
    • Forms
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Request for examination
    • Find a professional representative
  • Law & practice
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • Legal texts
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • European Patent Convention
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Archive
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Documentation on the EPC revision 2000
            • Go back
            • Overview
            • Diplomatic Conference for the revision of the EPC
            • Travaux préparatoires
            • New text
            • Transitional provisions
            • Implementing regulations to the EPC 2000
            • Rules relating to Fees
            • Ratifications and accessions
          • Travaux Préparatoires EPC 1973
      • Official Journal
      • Guidelines
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • EPC Guidelines
        • PCT-EPO Guidelines
        • Unitary Patent Guidelines
        • Guidelines revision cycle
        • Consultation results
        • Summary of user responses
        • Archive
      • Extension / validation system
      • London Agreement
      • National law relating to the EPC
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Archive
      • Unitary Patent system
        • Go back
        • Travaux préparatoires to UP and UPC
      • National measures relating to the Unitary Patent 
    • Court practices
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • European Patent Judges' Symposium
    • User consultations
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Ongoing consultations
      • Completed consultations
    • Substantive patent law harmonisation
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • The Tegernsee process
      • Group B+
    • Convergence of practice
    • Options for professional representatives
  • News & events
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • News
    • Events
    • European Inventor Award
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • The meaning of tomorrow
      • About the award
      • Categories and prizes
      • Meet the inventors
      • Nominations
      • European Inventor Network
        • Go back
        • 2024 activities
        • 2025 activities
        • Rules and criteria
        • FAQ
      • The 2024 event
    • Young Inventors Prize
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • About the prize
      • Nominations
      • The jury
      • The world, reimagined
      • The 2025 event
    • Press centre
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Patent Index and statistics
      • Search in press centre
      • Background information
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • European Patent Office
        • Q&A on patents related to coronavirus
        • Q&A on plant patents
      • Copyright
      • Press contacts
      • Call back form
      • Email alert service
    • In focus
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Water-related technologies
      • CodeFest
        • Go back
        • CodeFest Spring 2025 on classifying patent data for sustainable development
        • Overview
        • CodeFest 2024 on generative AI
        • CodeFest 2023 on Green Plastics
      • Green tech in focus
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • About green tech
        • Renewable energies
        • Energy transition technologies
        • Building a greener future
      • Research institutes
      • Women inventors
      • Lifestyle
      • Space and satellites
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Patents and space technologies
      • Healthcare
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Medical technologies and cancer
        • Personalised medicine
      • Materials science
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Nanotechnology
      • Mobile communications
      • Biotechnology
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Red, white or green
        • The role of the EPO
        • What is patentable?
        • Biotech inventors
      • Classification
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Nanotechnology
        • Climate change mitigation technologies
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • External partners
          • Updates on Y02 and Y04S
      • Digital technologies
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • About ICT
        • Hardware and software
        • Artificial intelligence
        • Fourth Industrial Revolution
      • Additive manufacturing
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • About AM
        • AM innovation
      • Books by EPO experts
    • Podcast
  • Learning
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • Learning activities and paths
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Learning activities: types and formats
      • Learning paths
    • EQE and EPAC
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • EQE - European Qualifying Examination
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Compendium
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Paper F
          • Paper A
          • Paper B
          • Paper C
          • Paper D
          • Pre-examination
        • Candidates successful in the European qualifying examination
        • Archive
      • EPAC - European patent administration certification
      • CSP – Candidate Support Programme
    • Learning resources by area of interest
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Patent granting
      • Technology transfer and dissemination
      • Patent enforcement and litigation
    • Learning resources by profile
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Business and IP managers
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Innovation case studies
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • SME case studies
          • Technology transfer case studies
          • High-growth technology case studies
        • Inventor's handbook
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Introduction
          • Disclosure and confidentiality
          • Novelty and prior art
          • Competition and market potential
          • Assessing the risk ahead
          • Proving the invention
          • Protecting your idea
          • Building a team and seeking funding
          • Business planning
          • Finding and approaching companies
          • Dealing with companies
        • Best of search matters
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Tools and databases
          • EPO procedures and initiatives
          • Search strategies
          • Challenges and specific topics
        • Support for high-growth technology businesses
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Business decision-makers
          • IP professionals
          • Stakeholders of the Innovation Ecosystem
      • EQE and EPAC Candidates
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Paper F brain-teasers
        • Daily D questions
        • European qualifying examination - Guide for preparation
        • EPAC
      • Judges, lawyers and prosecutors
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Compulsory licensing in Europe
        • The jurisdiction of European courts in patent disputes
      • National offices and IP authorities
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Learning material for examiners of national officers
        • Learning material for formalities officers and paralegals
      • Patent attorneys and paralegals
      • Universities, research centres and TTOs
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Modular IP Education Framework (MIPEF)
        • Pan-European Seal Young Professionals Programme
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • For students
          • For universities
            • Go back
            • Overview
            • IP education resources
            • University memberships
          • Our young professionals
          • Professional development plan
        • Academic Research Programme
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Completed research projects
          • Current research projects
        • IP Teaching Kit
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Download modules
        • Intellectual property course design manual
        • PATLIB Knowledge Transfer to Africa
          • Go back
          • The PATLIB Knowledge Transfer to Africa initiative (KT2A)
          • KT2A core activities
          • Success story: Malawi University of Science and Technology and PATLIB Birmingham
  • About us
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • The EPO at a glance
    • 50 years of the EPC
      • Go back
      • Official celebrations
      • Overview
      • Member states’ video statements
        • Go back
        • Albania
        • Austria
        • Belgium
        • Bulgaria
        • Croatia
        • Cyprus
        • Czech Republic
        • Denmark
        • Estonia
        • Finland
        • France
        • Germany
        • Greece
        • Hungary
        • Iceland
        • Ireland
        • Italy
        • Latvia
        • Liechtenstein
        • Lithuania
        • Luxembourg
        • Malta
        • Monaco
        • Montenegro
        • Netherlands
        • North Macedonia
        • Norway
        • Poland
        • Portugal
        • Romania
        • San Marino
        • Serbia
        • Slovakia
        • Slovenia
        • Spain
        • Sweden
        • Switzerland
        • Türkiye
        • United Kingdom
      • 50 Leading Tech Voices
      • Athens Marathon
      • Kids’ collaborative art competition
    • Legal foundations and member states
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Legal foundations
      • Member states
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Member states by date of accession
      • Extension states
      • Validation states
    • Administrative Council and subsidiary bodies
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Communiqués
        • Go back
        • 2024
        • Overview
        • 2023
        • 2022
        • 2021
        • 2020
        • 2019
        • 2018
        • 2017
        • 2016
        • 2015
        • 2014
        • 2013
      • Calendar
      • Documents and publications
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Select Committee documents
      • Administrative Council
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Composition
        • Representatives
        • Rules of Procedure
        • Board of Auditors
        • Secretariat
        • Council bodies
    • Principles & strategy
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Mission, vision, values & corporate policy
      • Strategic Plan 2028
        • Go back
        • Driver 1: People
        • Driver 2: Technologies
        • Driver 3: High-quality, timely products and services
        • Driver 4: Partnerships
        • Driver 5: Financial sustainability
      • Towards a New Normal
      • Data protection & privacy notice
    • Leadership & management
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • About the President
      • Management Advisory Committee
    • Sustainability at the EPO
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Environmental
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Inspiring environmental inventions
      • Social
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Inspiring social inventions
      • Governance and Financial sustainability
    • Procurement
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Procurement forecast
      • Doing business with the EPO
      • Procurement procedures
      • Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) publications
      • Sustainable Procurement Policy
      • About eTendering
      • Invoicing
      • Procurement portal
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • e-Signing contracts
      • General conditions
      • Archived tenders
    • Services & activities
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Our services & structure
      • Quality
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Foundations
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • European Patent Convention
          • Guidelines for examination
          • Our staff
        • Enabling quality
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Prior art
          • Classification
          • Tools
          • Processes
        • Products & services
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Search
          • Examination
          • Opposition
          • Continuous improvement
        • Quality through networking
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • User engagement
          • Co-operation
          • User satisfaction survey
          • Stakeholder Quality Assurance Panels
        • Patent Quality Charter
        • Quality Action Plan
        • Quality dashboard
        • Statistics
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Search
          • Examination
          • Opposition
        • Integrated management at the EPO
      • Consulting our users
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Standing Advisory Committee before the EPO (SACEPO)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Objectives
          • SACEPO and its working parties
          • Meetings
          • Single Access Portal – SACEPO Area
        • Surveys
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Detailed methodology
          • Search services
          • Examination services, final actions and publication
          • Opposition services
          • Formalities services
          • Customer services
          • Filing services
          • Key Account Management (KAM)
          • Website
          • Archive
      • Our user service charter
      • European and international co-operation
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Co-operation with member states
          • Go back
          • Overview
        • Bilateral co-operation with non-member states
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Validation system
          • Reinforced Partnership programme
        • Multilateral international co-operation with IP offices and organisations
        • Co-operation with international organisations outside the IP system
      • European Patent Academy
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Partners
      • Chief Economist
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Economic studies
      • Ombuds Office
      • Reporting wrongdoing
    • Observatory on Patents and Technology
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Technologies
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Innovation against cancer
        • Assistive robotics
        • Space technologies
      • Innovation actors
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Startups and SMEs
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Publications
        • Research universities and public research organisations
      • Policy and funding
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Financing innovation programme
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Our studies on the financing of innovation
          • EPO initiatives for patent applicants
          • Financial support for innovators in Europe
        • Patents and standards
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Publications
          • Patent standards explorer
      • Tools
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Deep Tech Finder
      • About the Observatory
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Work plan
    • Transparency portal
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • General
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Annual Review 2023
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Foreword
          • Executive summary
          • 50 years of the EPC
          • Strategic key performance indicators
          • Goal 1: Engaged and empowered
          • Goal 2: Digital transformation
          • Goal 3: Master quality
          • Goal 4: Partner for positive impact
          • Goal 5: Secure sustainability
        • Annual Review 2022
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Foreword
          • Executive summary
          • Goal 1: Engaged and empowered
          • Goal 2: Digital transformation
          • Goal 3: Master quality
          • Goal 4: Partner for positive impact
          • Goal 5: Secure sustainability
      • Human
      • Environmental
      • Organisational
      • Social and relational
      • Economic
      • Governance
    • Statistics and trends
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Statistics & Trends Centre
      • Patent Index 2024
        • Go back
        • Insight into computer technology and AI
        • Insight into clean energy technologies
        • Statistics and indicators
          • Go back
          • European patent applications
            • Go back
            • Key trend
            • Origin
            • Top 10 technical fields
              • Go back
              • Computer technology
              • Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
              • Digital communication
              • Medical technology
              • Transport
              • Measurement
              • Biotechnology
              • Pharmaceuticals
              • Other special machines
              • Organic fine chemistry
            • All technical fields
          • Applicants
            • Go back
            • Top 50
            • Categories
            • Women inventors
          • Granted patents
            • Go back
            • Key trend
            • Origin
            • Designations
      • Data to download
      • EPO Data Hub
      • Clarification on data sources
    • History
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • 1970s
      • 1980s
      • 1990s
      • 2000s
      • 2010s
      • 2020s
    • Art collection
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • The collection
      • Let's talk about art
      • Artists
      • Media library
      • What's on
      • Publications
      • Contact
      • Culture Space A&T 5-10
        • Go back
        • Catalyst lab & Deep vision
          • Go back
          • Irene Sauter (DE)
          • AVPD (DK)
          • Jan Robert Leegte (NL)
          • Jānis Dzirnieks (LV) #1
          • Jānis Dzirnieks (LV) #2
          • Péter Szalay (HU)
          • Thomas Feuerstein (AT)
          • Tom Burr (US)
          • Wolfgang Tillmans (DE)
          • TerraPort
          • Unfinished Sculpture - Captives #1
          • Deep vision – immersive exhibition
          • Previous exhibitions
        • The European Patent Journey
        • Sustaining life. Art in the climate emergency
        • Next generation statements
        • Open storage
        • Cosmic bar
      • "Long Night"
  • Boards of Appeal
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • Decisions of the Boards of Appeal
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Recent decisions
      • Selected decisions
    • Information from the Boards of Appeal
    • Procedure
    • Oral proceedings
    • About the Boards of Appeal
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • President of the Boards of Appeal
      • Enlarged Board of Appeal
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Pending referrals (Art. 112 EPC)
        • Decisions sorted by number (Art. 112 EPC)
        • Pending petitions for review (Art. 112a EPC)
        • Decisions on petitions for review (Art. 112a EPC)
      • Technical Boards of Appeal
      • Legal Board of Appeal
      • Disciplinary Board of Appeal
      • Presidium
        • Go back
        • Overview
    • Code of Conduct
    • Business distribution scheme
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Technical boards of appeal by IPC in 2025
      • Archive
    • Annual list of cases
    • Communications
    • Annual reports
      • Go back
      • Overview
    • Publications
      • Go back
      • Abstracts of decisions
    • Case Law of the Boards of Appeal
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Archive
  • Service & support
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • Website updates
    • Availability of online services
      • Go back
      • Overview
    • FAQ
      • Go back
      • Overview
    • Publications
    • Ordering
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Patent Knowledge Products and Services
      • Terms and conditions
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Patent information products
        • Bulk data sets
        • Open Patent Services (OPS)
        • Fair use charter
    • Procedural communications
    • Useful links
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Patent offices of member states
      • Other patent offices
      • Directories of patent attorneys
      • Patent databases, registers and gazettes
      • Disclaimer
    • Contact us
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Filing options
      • Locations
    • Subscription centre
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Subscribe
      • Change preferences
      • Unsubscribe
    • Official holidays
    • Glossary
    • RSS feeds
1994
  1. Home
  2. Legal texts
  3. Official Journal
  4. 1994
  5. 6 - June
  6. Pages 401-411
Print
Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email
6 - June

Overview

Pages 401-411

Download PDF 
Citation: OJ EPO 1994, 401
Online publication date: 30.6.1994
BOARDS OF APPEAL
Decisions of the Disciplinary Board of Appeal

Interlocutory decision of the Disciplinary Board of Appeal dated 18 May 1993 - D 11/91

(Translation)

Composition of the Board:

Chairman:

P. Gori

Members:

J.-C. Saisset

 

M. Lewenton

 

Ch. Bertschinger

 

L.A. Duran

Headword: Return of documents

Keyword: "Disciplinary proceedings - appeal - exclusion of documents - return of documents" - "Professional representative before the EPO - professional secrecy - confidentiality - limit to powers of investigation" - "Appeal proceedings - submission of opposition dossier - form"

Headnote

I. Documents whose legitimate origin is in serious doubt may without any investigation as to whether such doubts are justified be excluded from the proceedings if they did not serve as the basis for charges against the appellant or if copies of incontestably legitimate origin remain on file. Documents excluded by interlocutory decision - unlike returned items - are not however thereby removed from the Board's investigatory purview.

II. Professional secrecy under Article 2 of the Regulation on discipline for professional representatives (RDR) sets limits to the disciplinary bodies' powers of investigation and to the obligation under Article 18 RDR that a professional representative supply all relevant information. However, confidentiality obligations deriving from a principle enshrined in Part I RDR cannot be invoked to resist a request under Article 18 RDR.

III. Under the powers conferred on it by Article 25 RDR and Article 117 EPC, the Disciplinary Board of Appeal can require EPO departments to produce files - in the present case, a terminated opposition dossier - likely to contain documents helpful to its own investigation.

Summary of Facts and Submissions

I. By letter received on 20 November 1991 the appellant appealed against a decision dated 14 November 1991 taken by the Disciplinary Board of the European Patent Office (hereinafter "Disciplinary Board") in consolidated cases DB 01/90 and DB 02/88 and ordering his deletion from the list of professional representatives for an indefinite period. ...

II. On 14 January 1992 he authorised a legal representative ... to act in his defence.

III. The statement setting out the grounds of appeal was received on 16 January 1992. Its main request was that the proceedings and investigation initiated against the appellant be declared null and void. The auxiliary requests were that the file be referred back to a Disciplinary Board composed of non-members of the "Compagnie nationale des Conseils en brevets" or - failing that - that the appellant be acquitted of the charges against him (having been amnestied under French law) and the penalty imposed on him set aside.

IV. On 24 January 1992, under Article 12, second sentence, RDR, the President of the EPO and the President of the Council of the Institute of Professional Representatives were each given the opportunity to comment. On 19 March 1992 the former indicated that he did not wish to do so. The latter made no comment.

V. By fax received at the EPO on 20 February 1992 the appellant stated that:

  • one of the complainants who had brought the disciplinary proceedings against him had been found guilty ... of stealing documents (by photocopying them) belonging to his practice;
  • the disciplinary dossier contained a number of stolen documents ... which had in some cases served as the basis for the decision now under appeal.

In his view, the decision of 14 November 1991 was therefore null and void, because it was based on stolen documents. Furthermore, in view of the court ruling, keeping these documents on file constituted possession of stolen goods. The appellant therefore requested the return of the following papers:

...

By fax received on 3 March 1992 he explained that he wanted the file sent back to the Disciplinary Board to enable it to take a decision based solely on documents it was entitled to have. If the documents he wanted removed from the file were not returned to him in two weeks he would be obliged to take legal action against such implicit or explicit refusal. If oral proceedings were going to be held, he asked to be notified so that he could present orally the information required for his defence.

VI. On 6 March 1992, to enable the present Board of Appeal (hereinafter "this Board") to rule on his request regarding the documents listed in the fax of 20 February 1992, the appellant was asked to furnish evidence that they were indeed those unlawfully acquired and that the relevant court judgment was final ...

VII. By fax received at the European Patent Office on 23 March 1992, the appellant produced a certificate issued on 17 March 1992 by the clerk of the court and indicating that the judgment was final. As regards the unlawful origin of the documents he wanted returned, he cited a police report drawn up at the request of the examining magistrate and which was on the file considered by the Disciplinary Board.

VIII. By letter dated 3 June 1992, the appellant submitted a further request, namely removal from the file of all documents which discussed the stolen papers and of those submitted in breach of the confidentiality by which professional representatives were bound. He listed these items as follows:

...

He added that if the 205 documents referred to in the complainant's letter to the EPO dated 13 October 1989 were on his disciplinary file they were there unlawfully.

IX. On 16 June 1992 the rapporteur informed the appellant that he proposed to suggest that this Board rule first on the admissibility of his appeal and on his request for exclusion of certain documents, before taking any decision as to the merits. The appellant was invited to comment.

X. By fax dated 18 June 1992 the appellant replied that in his opinion the stolen items should be removed automatically before any decision was taken; this Board had no discretion in the matter. The sole purpose of the initial decision should be to create a lawful disciplinary file complying with criminal law and the patent profession's code of conduct. Only then, once his rights as defendant had been respected, should the Board take a decision on the merits.

XI. On 30 June 1992 the appellant added to the file, for information, a copy of a charge he had that day filed in person against X with the chief investigating magistrate in ..., alleging possession of documents stolen and placed unlawfully on his disciplinary file.

XII. In the light of new points which had emerged during the proceedings, the Presidents of the EPO and Council of the Institute were given a further opportunity to comment. On 20 July 1992 the former noted the new developments but saw no need to comment. The latter again made no comment.

Reasons for the Decision

1. The appeal complies with Article 22(1) RDR and is therefore admissible.

2. Before this Board takes a decision on the merits, the appellant wants all the documents listed or mentioned in points V and VIII above to be excluded, and some of them returned to him. In his view, they should not be on file and cannot legitimately serve as a basis for the disciplinary penalty imposed on him.

2.1 Since the invitation dated 16 June 1992 gave the appellant an opportunity to comment and expand on the grounds in support of his requests, the Board takes the view that before deciding on the merits it should issue the present final and binding "interlocutory decision" without oral proceedings.

2.2 Its purpose is thus to rule on removal and return of the documents of disputed origin, without considering their probative value which is entirely a matter for the decision as to the merits.

2.2.1 Without prejudice to possible use of the investigatory powers available to it throughout the present appeal proceedings, and without having to consider whether the objections raised are justified, this Board rules that the documents of disputed origin (see points V and VIII above) are excluded if they did not serve as a basis for the Disciplinary Board's allegations against the appellant or where copies of incontestably legitimate origin remain on file. In such circumstances, and at the present stage of the proceedings, it would seem to be unnecessary or at least superfluous for them to be on file.

2.2.2 For those documents not meeting the above criteria, however, this Board must determine whether there are good grounds for challenging them, and if so whether they should be removed from the file and possibly also returned to the appellant.

3. As regards the items whose return is requested (point V above), this Board notes that the file contains two different letters dated 25 May 1987 and has not been able to establish that either of them, or the letter dated 3 September 1987, is from files stolen from the appellant. They are all items of correspondence drawn up by Mr ... (complainant) for the attention of the disciplinary bodies, and made known to the appellant during proceedings to which he was party. There would thus seem to be no reason to order their return. It has still to be decided however whether to exclude them from the proceedings (see point 5 below) and how to deal with their annexes.

3.1 The first of the two letters dated 25 May 1987 is in fact the initial complaint made by the complainant against the appellant. It was accompanied by six annexes which served as the basis for two of the seven charges heard by the Disciplinary Board.

3.1.1 The first five annexes (A, B plus attachments, C, D and E) relate to the dossier of an opposition filed by company ... against European patent No. ... granted to J ... for application No. ... This Board has established that the originals of all these documents are in the opposition dossier, which is the property of the European Patent Office and was submitted early on during the disciplinary proceedings. This Board has requested that it now be attached to the appeal papers. It is therefore immaterial that the photocopies forming Annexes A and E to the letter in question are on that file. This Board is not however ordering their return to the appellant. As company M ... has clearly stated in its letter misdated 11 May 1986 (item No. 53 in the opposition dossier) that the complainant was its sole representative for this opposition, there is nothing to suggest that he was not in lawful possession of all the documents pertaining to the case, even if the file was confiscated by magistrate's order during investigations against him.

3.1.2 The sixth annex (F) is a photocopy of a letter dated 15 January 1987 and submitted by the complainant in support of his charge of defamation by the appellant (recorded as allegation No. 6 by the Disciplinary Board). It was sent by the complainant to the appellant to explain why he was ending their contractual relationship. This Board therefore does not think it can be validly argued that the copy submitted in evidence by the complainant is from a client's file stolen from the appellant. The request for its return is therefore unfounded.

3.2 The second letter dated 25 May 1987 is addressed to the Disciplinary Committee and mainly describes the complainant's duties as a salaried employee working in the appellant's practice. Attached were two annexes A and B consisting solely of photocopies of the documents ruled on in points 3.1 to 3.1.2 above. For the same reasons, this letter will not be returned either.

3.3 Finally, as regards the annexes to the letter of 3 September 1987 (numbered 2 to 26 under point V(c)), this Board would point out that in the contested decision the facts described were not used as the basis for a specific charge against the appellant, although the Disciplinary Board saw fit to state in the minutes of the oral proceedings held on 17 and 18 June 1991 that they could be. As such, these documents are immaterial and should be excluded. This Board also considers that serious doubts as to their origin still remain: the possibility cannot be excluded that they come from files seized by the police from the offices of Z... S.A., although this is not absolutely certain. Nor did the court judgment specify which of the files seized had in fact been taken from the appellant (see point 3.1.1 above in fine, case of dossier M...). These documents will therefore not be handed over to the appellant, since as things stand it is not proven that he is the owner. If however, as a result of his complaint against X for possession of stolen papers, the court should requisition them or order their return to their rightful owner, the European Patent Office would have no reason not to comply.

4. The appellant also wants the items "discussing the stolen documents" removed from the file. In view of the reasons just given for excluding certain annexes to two letters sent by the complainant to the disciplinary bodies, this Board takes the view that a distinction must be drawn between Annexes A to E to the letter of 25 May 1987 (point 3.1.1 above) and Annexes 2 to 26 to the letter of 3 September 1987.

4.1 All the former items relate to the opposition filed by company M... against patent J..., so any document discussing them is in fact about original papers in the opposition dossier. As these originals are in a file rightfully belonging to the European Patent Office, this Board sees no need to require the complainant to produce these photocopies. The latter, who was duly authorised to represent the opponent and who accused the appellant of using a false authorisation, was able when filing his complaint to refer to documents on the opposition dossier without submitting photocopies. It was in fact the European Patent Office which by communication dated 30 April 1987 informed the complainant and appellant that two authorisations had been issued to two different professional representatives for the same opposition (items 49 to 52 in the opposition dossier for patent J...). So there is no reason to exclude papers in which the complainant discusses the documents in that dossier.

4.2 The second set of annexes however the Board regards as immaterial, because ultimately they did not serve to support any charges. The documents discussing them are therefore excluded from the proceedings as irrelevant.

5. The appellant argues that his request for removal of the documents listed under point VIII above (P1 to P17) is justified because they are in breach of the confidentiality rules to which professional representatives are subject.

5.1 Before giving a ruling, this Board would note that this list includes the letters (plus annexes) of 25 May 1987 (P3) and 3 September 1987 (P6) addressed by the complainant to the disciplinary bodies. It has already held that these letters are not to be returned (see point 3 above) and that the annexes are excluded from the proceedings (see points 3.1.1 and 3.3). It will now consider the request for their removal from the file for reasons of confidentiality.

Document P1 is the item accompanied by the 205 documents the appellant wants removed from the file (see last paragraph of point VIII above). However, this letter concerns several cases pending before the Disciplinary Board, and the copy on the appeal proceedings file is only a photocopy unaccompanied by the 205 attachments. At this stage in the proceedings, and given that they do not serve to substantiate any of the charges made against the appellant, this Board sees no need to require that they be produced. It would also appear that documents P1 to P10 are all items of correspondence exchanged between the complainant and the disciplinary bodies, whilst documents P11 to P17 relate to the M... opposition dossier and were submitted by the complainant to refute accusations that he had stolen it. Lastly, documents P1 and P9 are identical to P2 and P10. The request that all these papers be removed from the file is in any case - as already stated - based on a claim of breach of confidentiality.

5.2 In this connection, a closer look at the obligations of EPO professional representatives shows that the confidentiality requirements invoked by the appellant are derived from a principle enshrined essentially in Part I RDR. The purpose of the RDR, along with the Code of Conduct and the Regulation establishing the Institute, is to lay down all the obligations to which representatives are subject in their dealings under the EPC with the public, their clients, other patent agents, the EPO and the Institute. It is in this context too that the disciplinary bodies were set up, and their responsibilities and powers defined.

Thus, Article 18 RDR states that "Where proceedings against a professional representative are pending before a Disciplinary Body, the representative shall supply all necessary information and, on request, submit his files to the Body, except in so far as this would be in conflict with his obligation to professional secrecy". Article 2 RDR reads as follows: "A professional representative shall be bound not to disclose information accepted by him in confidence in the exercise of his duties, unless he is released from this obligation". It is clear from these two articles that the disciplinary bodies' investigatory powers are limited only by considerations of professional secrecy. In consequence, a representative called before a disciplinary body cannot simply cite the confidentiality of a file or of information it contains as a reason for refusing to comply with a request under Article 18 RDR.

Since both the Disciplinary Board and this Board are thus empowered to require that representatives produce confidential information in their possession, the appellant cannot validly argue that these bodies are obliged to exclude such information solely because it was produced by the complainant.

And as the documents are not covered by professional secrecy - which moreover the appellant has never claimed - this Board rejects as unfounded his requests that they be removed from the file as confidential.

6. This Board's arguments above have established that the documents herewith removed from the file were either unnecessary or superfluous to it. The request that the case be referred back to the Disciplinary Board is therefore refused.

Order

For these reasons it is decided that:

Annexes A, B, C, D and E to the letter of 25 May 1987, attachments 2 to 26 to the letter of 3 September 1987, and the documents or parts thereof discussing said attachments 2 to 26, are excluded from the proceedings.

The request for exclusion and return of documents other than those just mentioned is rejected.

The request that the case be referred back to the Disciplinary Board is likewise rejected.

Previous
Next
Footer - Service & support
  • Service & support
    • Website updates
    • Availability of online services
    • FAQ
    • Publications
    • Procedural communications
    • Contact us
    • Subscription centre
    • Official holidays
    • Glossary
Footer - More links
  • Jobs & careers
  • Press centre
  • Single Access Portal
  • Procurement
  • Boards of Appeal
Facebook
European Patent Office
EPO Jobs
Instagram
EuropeanPatentOffice
Linkedin
European Patent Office
EPO Jobs
EPO Procurement
X (formerly Twitter)
EPOorg
EPOjobs
Youtube
TheEPO
Footer
  • Legal notice
  • Terms of use
  • Data protection and privacy
  • Accessibility