Article 78

EUROPEAN PATENT OFFICE

Information from the EPO

Notice from the European Patent Office dated 23 September 2016 concerning the online filing of subsequently filed documents under the PCT, including the demand under PCT Chapter II

By decision dated 26 February 2009 (OJ EPO 2009, 182) superseded by decision dated 10 November 2015 (OJ EPO 2015, A91), the President of the European Patent Office (EPO) authorised the filing in electronic form of documents relating to the international application under Rule 89bis.2 PCT.

By notice from the EPO dated 17 April 2014 (OJ EPO 2014, A50), documents relating to the international application under Rule 89bis.2 PCT may be filed online via the PCT-SFD plug-in in the EPO Online Filing software.

By notice from the EPO dated 13 June 2014 (OJ EPO 2014, A71), the demand under PCT Chapter II may be filed online via the PCT-DEMAND plug-in in the EPO Online Filing software.

By decision dated 24 October 2014 (OJ EPO 2014, A107), the President of the EPO authorised the use of ePCT-Filing for filing international applications with the EPO acting as receiving Office.

Pursuant to these decisions and notices, and in particular Article 2 of the decision dated 10 November 2015, as from 1 November 2016 the ePCT service may be used for online filing of documents relating to the international application under Rule 89bis.2 PCT, and of the demand under PCT Chapter II, and also for indicating the payment of fees related to the demand.

More information on the ePCT service is published by the World Intellectual Property Organization under: www.wipo.int/export/sites/www/pct/en/epct/pdf/pct_wipo_accounts_user_guide.pdf and www.wipo.int/export/sites/www/pct/en/epct/pdf/transition__to_epct_for_document_upload.pdf.