A secure EPO web-based service that allows you to submit documents relating to the patent grant process with the EPO.
Anyone can use it, so long as they register for the service. To register, you must provide a valid email address.
Only documents in PDF can be filed via the web-form filing service. The PDF should comply with WIPO's Annex F standard for e-filing.
To guarantee compliance, you should ensure that your PDF generator and resulting PDFs meet the following criteria:
If you are generating PDFs from paper documents using your scanner you should adjust the settings of your scanner accordingly.
The EPO offers free-of-charge access to a version of Amyuni PDF Converter which is preconfigured to produce PDF documents that can be transmitted with web-form filing.
It is not possible to pay fees from within web-form filing.
Documents not supported by web-form filing are deemed not to have been received.
You can use a facsimile signature or a text-string signature to sign documents filed via the web-form filing service. For example: /John Smith/.
Please note that simply logging in to the web-form filing service does not fulfil the signature requirements.
You can find the latest online filing fees in the Schedule of Fees.
No.
As a new web-form filing user you can register via the Enrol for a username and password link on the login screen. Please complete and submit the enrolment form. You will receive your password within a few minutes via email.
You will be able to use web-form filing as soon as you receive the registration notification email.
You can request an email reminder of the username(s) assigned to an email account by clicking Forgotten login details? on the login screen.
You can request a new password by clicking Forgotten login details? on the login screen. You will receive your new password within a few minutes via email.
Make sure you are using the latest version of your browser or try using a different browser.
Please contact us.
You can change your password after logging in with your current username and password by clicking "Logged in as".
Yes. You can change your email address in the "Edit User Details" menu. To access this menu, log in with your current username and password, and click on "Logged in as [username]" in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
Unfortunately you cannot register a username that has already been taken in either web-form filing or the European Patent Register Alert. You must choose another username.
The date of receipt will be the date on which you complete the submission process.
All successful submissions are acknowledged via email.
If you wish to receive a detailed acknowledgement of receipt, please check the box indicated below.
If this box is checked, a detailed acknowledgement will be available for download on the confirmation screen as soon as the submission process is complete and attached to the acknowledgement sent via email.
In the section "Filing type & documents", check the box "Please send a detailed acknowledgement of receipt to this registered e-mail address".
Please contact us.
No. You cannot download the detailed acknowledgement of receipt after your session has ended or you have started a new filing operation. Please contact us.
If you are filing with web-form filing for the first time, you will not be assigned an application number immediately. It will be communicated to you later.
If you need help obtaining your application number, please contact us.
Check your spam folder. If you cannot find it there, please contact us.
Please contact us.
A Unitary Patent may be requested for any European patent granted on or after the date of application of Regulations (EU) No 1257/2012 and (EU) No 1260/2012. These two regulations will apply from the date of entry into force of the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court (UPCA). The EPO will announce this date on its website.
Neither Online Filing (OLF) nor OLF 2.0 supports XML filings (i.e. attaching the form as an XML). However, the systems support the importing of packages. Therefore, if the package is constructed with a Patent Management System (PMS) gateway and it meets the standards and requirements, it can be imported into OLF and OLF 2.0.
The EPO will provide the technical documentation on the PMS gateway in good time at epo.org/applying/online-services/online-filing/interface.html.
