European Patent Office

Article 18

Citation: OJ EPO 2026, A18

Online publication date: 31.3.2026

EUROPEAN PATENT OFFICE

Information from the EPO

Decision of the President of the European Patent Office dated 18 February 2026 concerning the audio recording of oral proceedings before the Unitary Patent Protection Division for the purpose of preparing the minutes of oral proceedings with the assistance of artificial intelligence

The President of the European Patent Office, having regard to Rules 3 and 20(2)(e) of the Rules relating to Unitary Patent Protection (UPR), Article 10(2)(a) EPC and Rule 124(1) EPC, has decided as follows:

Article 1

Audio recordings of oral proceedings

  1. Oral proceedings held by videoconference before the Unitary Patent Protection Division may be audio recorded by the EPO for the purpose of preparing the minutes of oral proceedings with the assistance of artificial intelligence. These recordings will be deleted once the minutes of oral proceedings are issued to the parties to proceedings.

  2. The recording or transmittal of oral proceedings in any form by participants other than EPO employees is prohibited.

Article 2

Entry into force

This decision enters into force on 1 April 2026 and applies to all oral proceedings scheduled to take place on or after that date.

Done at Munich, 18 February 2026

António CAMPINOS

President