☰ Menu
Institute of Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office

News Policy

Policy for news items on the epi website

download pdf

News

Oral proceedings by videoconference (updates April 17 and 20, 2020)

April 02, 2020

On 31 March, we reported that your president had received a letter from the EPO President regarding the use of video-conferencing for oral proceedings. The EPO has informed users about this measure at a videoconference meeting of the SACEPO Working Party Rules, which the epi delegates have joined. Your president then sent a response to the EPO President, still on 31 March.

The President has now decided that videoconference would be the default for examination. The EPO will launch a pilot for videoconference in opposition. Please share your experience with us, here (examination) or here (opposition).

Details

Message to our members

March 31, 2020

From the Presidium, a message to the members with information about:

  • Cancellation of the Council meeting in Glasgow
  • epi Secretariat continuity plans activated
  • epi letter to the EPO regarding the EQE cancellation
  • Short report of the “mock e-Council” meeting of the AC
  • Letter from the EPO President regarding oral proceedings by videoconference
  • Message from the International Bureau regarding postal mail and e-mail
Details

German Federal Constitutional Court Stops Ratification of Germany by Allowing Complaint in UPC Case

March 20, 2020

This morning the German Federal Constitutional Court (“Bundesverfassungsgericht”) issued a long-awaited judgment on a complaint filed against the German legislation implementing the Unified Patent Court (UPC) Agreement.

Details

epi view on EQE March 2020 cancellation: UPDATE: Letter to EPO

March 13, 2020

Last week, the Supervisory Board, which is a joint body of the EPO and epi, informed all candidates of EQE 2020 about its decision to cancel the EQE scheduled for 16.-19. March 2020 in view of the current COVID19 epidemic.

Details

COVID - 19

March 13, 2020

Information from the epi President

epi receives numerous messages from members who have been refused a postponement of oral proceedings or transfer to videoconference. If you are affected, please do not hesitate to send a new request, explaining that the situation has changed and is changing.

Details