INFORMATION FROM THE EPO
Decisions of the President of the EPO
Decision of the President of the European Patent Office dated 31 May 2012 concerning the EPO Online Filing software to be used for the electronic filing of documents
Further to the decision dated 26 February 2009 concerning the electronic filing of documents1, and having regard to Rule 2 EPC and Rule 89bis.1 and 2 PCT, the President of the European Patent Office has decided as follows:
Article 1
Software to be used for electronic filing
(1) Electronic filings in accordance with Article 5 of the above-mentioned decision dated 26 February 2009 must be made using version 5 Service Pack 3.1 (build 5.0.0.057) or later releases of the EPO Online Filing software.
(2) Once this decision has entered into force, electronic filings using releases earlier than version 5 Service Pack 3.1 (build 5.0.0.057) will no longer be accepted by the Office's receiving server.
Article 2
International (PCT) applications
Article 1(2) shall not apply to international (PCT) applications filed in electronic form with the European Patent Office as receiving Office under the PCT. Such applications prepared and filed using PCT-SAFE or releases of the EPO Online Filing software earlier than version 5 Service Pack 3.1 (build 5.0.0.057) will be accepted by the Office's receiving server.
Article 3
Previous decisions superseded
When this decision enters into force, the decision of the President of the European Patent Office dated 8 February 2010 concerning the EPO Online Filing software to be used for the electronic filing of documents (OJ EPO 2010, 226) shall cease to have effect.
Article 4
Entry into force
This decision shall enter into force on 1 March 2013.
Done at Munich, 31 May 2012
Benoît BATTISTELLI
President
1 See OJ EPO 2009, 182.