Can I select the EPO as IPEA?

Yes. If you participate in the pilot, you may file a demand for international preliminary examination with the EPO acting as IPEA.

If the international search report and written opinion issued by the EPO show that your invention is not yet patentable in its present form, you can amend your application and file a demand for international preliminary examination directly with the EPO. The EPO will then perform a top-up search to check whether any relevant citations have emerged since the international search and you can enter into a dialogue with the examiner.

For further information on the Chapter II Demand and the EPO as IPEA, see general overview.