You are going to become a MyEPO Mailbox user – whether you like it or not!

The Administrative Council has approved changes to the European Patent Convention (EPC) Implementing Regulations (the Rules) to deliver a simplified paperless Patent Grant Process (PGP). These Rules will come into force on 1st April, 2027.

The official publication from the European Patent Office (EPO) setting out the Rule changes can be found in the OJ EPO 2026, A27 (available here).

The Rules make it clear that, with few exceptions, the EPO will communicate with applicants, opponents, professional representatives and legal practitioners electronically, in particular via the Mailbox in MyEPO (cf. OJ EPO 2026, A20 (available here)).

To make the transition as easy as possible, the EPO will be taking steps between now and 1st April, 2027 to help all users to convert to the use of Mailbox. These steps will include:

• Requiring all new users to open a MyEPO account and activate the Mailbox function;
• Requiring all users who have a MyEPO account to activate the Mailbox function;
• If any user with a MyEPO account does not activate the Mailbox function, activating the Mailbox function ex officio with no option to deactivate it or to opt-out from electronic notification via MyEPO Mailbox for professional representatives and legal practitioners; and
• Providing tailored support, especially to small entities and first-time users, including assistance with account set-up, Mailbox activation and guidance on the use of electronic notification tools.
 
Important points every user should be aware of:

• Ex officio MyEPO Mailbox activation: the Mailbox within MyEPO will be activated automatically for all users with no option to opt-out for professional representatives and legal practitioners;
• The indication of an email address will become mandatory as part of any filing, to enable digital communication;
• To benefit from the enhanced notification system designed to promote the effective use of electronic communication channels, it must be ensured that the email address provided in MyEPO Mailbox is up to date;
• When electronic notification is not feasible, public notification via a dedicated section on www.epo.org will be the fallback option;
• EPO communications for PCT international phase applications can also be delivered electronically to your MyEPO Mailbox via PCT Link.

Overall MyEPO Mailbox uptake by end of January 2026 was 96,89%* (*Percentage of applications for which the EPO procedure is ongoing and whose communications are sent electronically by the EPO). EPO will be monitoring user adoption to identify the most effective actions to support the transition, and epi will support users and the office with communications and advice.

What can you do to get on track if you are among the 3% of users not yet receiving communications from the EPO via MyEPO Mailbox?

• Learn how to set up the EPO Mailbox in your company, for example by one of the online seminars you can find here or directly from your Key Account Manager (KAM) if you have one.
• Set up MyEPO Mailbox properly and get familiar with it as soon as possible: it is recommended that the set-up is done by an administrator.
• Adapt your internal processes to the new electronic delivery of EPO communications via MyEPO Mailbox.
• Do all this well before 1st April, 2027 in order to be ready and comfortable when it becomes mandatory!

Remember, EPO Customer Support are available every day to answer questions and support your transition. If you have concerns that things are not working for your situation, you can always contact epi’s Online Communications Committee at occ@patentepi.org.