The European Patent Office (EPO) offers inventors a uniform application procedure which enables them to seek patent protection in up to 40 European countries. Supervised by the Administrative Council, the Office is the executive arm of the European Patent Organisation.
Oppositions
The Office is also responsible for examining oppositions filed against granted European patents.
Appeals
The boards of appeal are responsible for deciding on appeals filed against decisions of the receiving, examining and opposition divisions of the EPO. They also consider alleged breaches of the Rules of Professional Conduct for professional representatives before the Office. The boards of appeal are independent, their decisions being governed solely by the provisions of the European Patent Convention. Read more about the boards of appeal .
Patent Information
Disclosure of the invention and subsequent publication are fundamental to the European patent system. The European Publication Server is where the public can obtain official copies of European patent documents. The European Patent Register provides details of the procedural status of patent applications at the EPO. The EPO's collection of over 90 million patent documents from all over the world is available to the public via the free Espacenet service on the internet. The EPO also provides a wide range of other products for searching patent databases. See the "Searching for patents" section of our website. Annual results and key figures on our activities are provided in the Annual Report and in facts and figures.
Info-Links
Website: Eurpäisches Patentamt
Standort:
Patentlaan 2
2288 EE Rijswijk
The Netherlands