Preview versions of Guidelines 2025 published – send us your feedback!
Today, preview versions of the three sets of Guidelines 2025 are available. Users are welcome to contribute to the annual user consultation on the Guidelines, which will be open for comments until 7 April 2025.
Today the EPO publishes the English preview versions of the EPC and PCT-EPO Guidelines 2025 as well as the first ever edition of the UP Guidelines. The Guidelines 2025 enter into force on 1 April 2025.
You have now the opportunity to familiarise with the latest Guidelines editions and to participate in the annual user consultation by providing feedback on all three Guidelines. The consultation website will be open for comments until 7 April 2025.
The Guidelines for Examination in the European Patent Office ("EPC Guidelines") and the Guidelines for Search and Examination at the European Patent Office as PCT Authority ("PCT-EPO Guidelines") give instructions on the practices and procedures to be followed in the examination of European and international applications and patents in accordance with the European Patent Convention (EPC), the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and their Implementing Regulations. The Unitary Patent Guidelines (“UP Guidelines”) outline the practice and procedures involved in obtaining, maintaining and managing Unitary Patents on the basis of the EPC.
The Guidelines are a vital resource for illustrating the law and practice in proceedings before the EPO and are widely consulted by external parties. They are revised annually to keep them aligned with the latest legal and procedural developments.
The anonymised comments will be discussed with the members of the SACEPO Working Party on Guidelines in the first of their two annual meetings on 8 May 2025.
We value your input and look forward to receiving your feedback.
Further information
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The EPC and PCT-EPO Guidelines come into force on 1 March. Send us your feedback in our annual user consultation and check out our small questionnaire