Article 46

EUROPEAN PATENT OFFICE

Information from the EPO

Decision of the President of the European Patent Office dated 7 July 2025 on the signing and filing of authorisations in proceedings under the Rules relating to Unitary Patent Protection

The President of the European Patent Office, having regard to Rules 3 and 20(2)(a) and l) of the Rules relating to Unitary Patent Protection (UPR), Article 10(2)(a) EPC and Rules 152(1) and (5) and 2(2) EPC, has decided as follows:

Article 1

Professional representatives and legal practitioners

(1) Professional representatives whose names appear on the list maintained by the European Patent Office (EPO), and legal practitioners entitled to act as representatives under Rule 20(1) UPR in conjunction with Article 134(8) EPC, who identify themselves as such will be required to file a signed authorisation only in the circumstances set out in paragraphs 2 and 3 below.

(2) If the EPO is informed of a change of representative involving professional representatives or legal practitioners who are not members of the same association, without being notified by the previous representative that their authorisation has terminated, the new representative must file an individual authorisation or a reference to a general authorisation already on file together with the notification of their appointment. If they do not, they will be requested to do so within a period to be specified by the EPO. If the EPO is informed before the end of the specified period by the previous representative that their authorisation has terminated, this request may be disregarded. The EPO will inform the previous representative that the subsequent proceedings will be conducted with the new representative.

(3) The EPO may require that an authorisation be filed where this is necessary in the circumstances of a specific case, in particular if there is any doubt as to the representative's entitlement to act.

(4) Any individual or general authorisation submitted will be placed on file, but it will only be checked for deficiencies if it is required. General authorisations issued for professional representatives, legal practitioners or associations of representatives will not be registered by the EPO.

Article 2

Employees

Employees who are representing a party under Rule 20(1) UPR in conjunction with Article 133(3), first sentence, EPC and who are neither professional representatives nor legal practitioners under Rule 20(1) UPR in conjunction with Article 134(8) EPC must file a signed authorisation or make reference to a general authorisation already registered with the EPO. If an employee acts without filing an authorisation, the proprietor will be requested to file the authorisation within a period to be specified by the EPO. General authorisations issued for employees will be checked for deficiencies and registered by the EPO.

Article 3

Signature

Authorisations may be authenticated by a handwritten signature, a facsimile signature, a text-string signature or a digital signature under the conditions specified by the EPO.1

Article 4

Previous decision superseded

When this decision enters into force, the decision of the President of the European Patent Office dated 8 July 2024 on the filing of authorisations in proceedings under the Rules relating to Unitary Patent Protection2 will cease to have effect.

Article 5

Entry into force

This decision will enter into force on 1 December 2025.

Registrations of general authorisations issued for professional representatives, legal practitioners and associations will cease to have effect as from the date of entry into force of this decision.

Done at Munich, 7 July 2025

António CAMPINOS

President