European Patent Office

Article 20

Citation: OJ EPO 2026, A20

Online publication date: 31.3.2026

EUROPEAN PATENT OFFICE

Information from the EPO

Decision of the President of the European Patent Office dated 25 March 2026 concerning the web-based service MyEPO and electronic notification to the Mailbox in proceedings under the EPC and the PCT

The President of the European Patent Office, having regard to Articles 10(2)(a), 119 and 128 and Rules 2, 127, 145 and 147 of the European Patent Convention (EPC) and Articles 27(7), 30 and 49 and Rules 44, 80.6, 89bis.1 and 2, 94.1bis, 94.1ter, 94.2bis and 94.3 of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), has decided as follows:

Article 1

Scope of MyEPO

  1. MyEPO is a secure, web-based service for parties to proceedings before the EPO.1 Signing in to MyEPO provides access to:

  1. electronic notification via Mailbox

  2. electronic filing as specified in the decision of the President of the European Patent Office concerning the electronic filing of documents2

  3. inspection of files as specified in Article 3

  4. a shared area as specified in Article 4

  5. a representative area as specified in Article 5

  6. upon further announcement, additional functionalities.

  1. Use of MyEPO requires authentication by any means allowed by the EPO.

  2. The availability of certain functionalities in MyEPO may be limited to specific categories of users.

Article 2

Electronic notification

  1. Electronic notification under Rule 127 EPC is effected by electronic communication to an activated Mailbox.

  2. Documents reach their destination within the meaning of Rule 127(2) EPC on the date the document is made available in the corresponding Mailbox.

  3. Electronic notification in proceedings under the PCT is governed by the provisions of the PCT.

  4. International agents and applicants who do not have their residence or principal place of business in an EPC contracting state but are entitled to act before the EPO in PCT international phase proceedings can register for electronic notification via Mailbox to receive communications from the EPO in the international phase where it acts as (S)ISA or IPEA ("PCT Link" service).

  5. In the case of electronic notification, no paper copies are notified in parallel.

  6. Paragraphs 1 to 5 apply mutatis mutandis to the electronic delivery of notices and communications not subject to notification.

Article 3

Inspection of files relating to applications and patents

  1. The documents in the electronic file relating to

    1. European patent applications and granted patents, including European patents with unitary effect,

    2. international (PCT) applications for which the EPO acts as receiving Office, International Searching Authority or International Preliminary Examining Authority3 and

    3. international (PCT) applications for which the EPO acts as a designated or elected Office

may be inspected via MyEPO in accordance with Article 128(4) EPC and Rule 94 PCT.

  1. Inspection of files relating to an unpublished European patent application is restricted to the appointed European professional representative or registered legal practitioner, in accordance with Article 128(1) EPC, and to applicants who have their residence or principal place of business in an EPC contracting state and have not appointed a European professional representative or registered legal practitioner.

  2. Inspection of files relating to an unpublished international (PCT) application and of the files held by the EPO as International Preliminary Examining Authority before completion of the international preliminary examination report is restricted to the European professional representative or registered legal practitioner appointed as agent, if any, in accordance with Rules 94.1bis(a), 94.1ter(a), 94.2(a) and 94.2bis PCT, and to applicants who have their residence or principal place of business in an EPC contracting state and have not appointed an agent.

Article 4

Shared area

  1. Users as well as the EPO can upload documents to the shared area and edit them there together in real time.

  2. The uploading or editing of the documents referred to in paragraph 1 is done for consultation purposes only. Such documents will not be considered as having been filed with the EPO or as having been notified by the EPO.

Article 5

Representative area

Users can administer entries in registers of representatives via the representative area, on condition and to the extent that such functionalities are

  1. provided for in MyEPO and

  2. included in a list published on the EPO website or in any other suitable form.

Article 6

Previous decisions superseded

When this decision enters into force, the decision of the President of the European Patent Office dated 9 February 2024 concerning the web-based online service MyEPO Portfolio and electronic notification to the Mailbox in proceedings under the EPC and the PCT (OJ EPO 2024, A20) will cease to have effect.

Article 7

Entry into force

This decision enters into force on 1 April 2026.

Done at Munich, 25 March 2026

António CAMPINOS

President

  1. 1 For the availability of MyEPO in proceedings related to European patents with unitary effect, see the decision of the President dated 9 February 2024 concerning the web-based online service MyEPO Portfolio and electronic notification to the Mailbox in proceedings related to European patents with unitary effect (OJ EPO 2024, A19).

  2. 2 See, currently, the decision of the President of the European Patent Office dated 25 March 2026 concerning the electronic filing of documents (OJ EPO 2026, A19).

  3. 3 Access to documents pertaining to international preliminary examination, with the exception of documents clearly intended for internal use, is afforded by the EPO after publication of the international application and completion of the international preliminary examination report, pursuant to Rule 94.2 PCT (see the notices published in OJ EPO 2003, 382 , and in OJ EPO 1999, 329).