G 0001/21 (Oral proceedings by videoconference) of 16.07.2021

European Case Law Identifier: ECLI:EP:BA:2021:G000121.20210716
Date of decision: 16 July 2021
Case number: G 0001/21
Petition for review of: T 1807/15 2021-03-12
Application number: 04758381.0
IPC class: H03F 1/02
Language of proceedings: English
Distribution: Published in the EPO's Official Journal (A)
Download: Decision in English
OJ versions: German
English
French
Other decisions for this case: G 0001/21 Exclusion and objection 2021-05-17 G 0001/21 Exclusion and objection 2021-05-28
Abstracts for this decision: -
Application title: DOHERTY AMPLIFIER WITH OUTPUT HYBRID COUPLER
Applicant name: Andrew AG
Opponent name: Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co KG
Board: -
Headnote: During a general emergency impairing the parties' possibilities to attend in-person oral proceedings at the EPO premises, the conduct of oral proceedings before the boards of appeal in the form of a videoconference is compatible with the EPC even if not all of the parties to the proceedings have given their consent to the conduct of oral proceedings in the form of a videoconference.
Relevant legal provisions: European Convention on Human Rights: Art_006European Patent Convention Art 112(1)(a)European Patent Convention Art 113(1)European Patent Convention Art 116(1)European Patent Convention Art 24VCLT: Art_031
Keywords: Admissibility of referral-(yes)
Oral proceedings by videoconference in case of general emergency
Role of consent of the parties
Catchword: -
Cited cases: G 0001/19 G 0002/19 R 0003/10 T 1012/13 T 2068/14 T 1378/16 T 2320/16
Citing cases: G 0002/21 R 0007/22 R 0004/24 J 0006/22 T 1499/16 T 1870/16 T 2125/16 T 2440/16 T 0541/17 T 1198/17 T 1259/17 T 1296/17 T 1869/17 T 2078/17 T 2186/17 T 2474/17 T 0245/18 T 0779/18 T 0934/18 T 1197/18 T 1629/18 T 2030/18 T 2825/18 T 0158/19 T 0245/19 T 0247/19 T 0250/19 T 1066/19 T 1791/19 T 2432/19 T 2526/19 T 2791/19 T 2817/19 T 0274/20 T 0489/20 T 0758/20 T 1085/20 T 1158/20 T 1171/20 T 1493/20 T 1501/20 T 1624/20 T 0534/21 T 0618/21 T 0762/21 T 0865/21 T 1041/21 T 2011/21 T 0417/22 T 0423/22 T 0596/22 T 1283/22 T 0385/23 T 0744/23 T 0745/23 T 0760/23 T 0781/23 T 0939/23 T 1095/23 T 1523/23 T 1692/23 T 1874/23

ORDER

For these reasons it is decided that the question referred to the Enlarged Board is answered as follows:

During a general emergency impairing the parties' possibilities to attend in-person oral proceedings at the EPO premises, the conduct of oral proceedings before the boards of appeal in the form of a videoconference is compatible with the EPC even if not all of the parties to the proceedings have given their consent to the conduct of oral proceedings in the form of a videoconference.