Boards of Appeal Case Law Conference 2025
On 20 and 21 November 2025, the annual Boards of Appeal Case Law Conference took place online, attracting more than 960 participants from the patent profession, judiciary, academia and European Patent Office.
Jointly organised by the Boards of Appeal (BoA) and the European Patent Academy, the conference provided a valuable forum for discussing recent important decisions of the Boards of Appeal, allowing participants to gain key insights into the topics shaping the interpretation and application of the European Patent Convention.
In his opening address, Boards of Appeal President Carl Josefsson emphasised the importance of exchange with judicial counterparts and stakeholders, highlighting the role the Boards of Appeal Case Law Conference plays in promoting the sharing of perspectives and a sense of common purpose. He further emphasised the improvements to timeliness at the Boards of Appeal as well its continued focus on quality – highlighting also the publication of the 11th edition of the Case Law Book in July 2025.
The Boards of Appeal Case Law Conference brings together not only the expertise of chairpersons, technically and legally qualified members of the Boards of Appeal, but also national and UPC judges. The first day of the conference featured a comprehensive overview of recent key decisions on patentability issues, followed by an examination of procedural topics and case law. This was followed the next day by presentations on the recent decisions of the Enlarged Board of Appeal, which prompted an engaging discussion on their implications for future proceedings, and a Judges’ Panel on inventive step, during which there was an exchange of perspectives from the Boards of Appeal, UPC, France and the UK.
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