e-learning centre of the European Patent Academy

This distance learning course is offered to patent examiners at national IP offices. Participants will learn to apply the criteria for clarity as well as the methodology for determining the unity of invention in line with the EPO practice (Guidelines and Case Law). Virtual classroom sessions allow for direct interaction with EPO expert tutors.

The Boards of Appeal and key decisions conference is a unique opportunity for patent practitioners to gain an insight into the Board of Appeal case law and practice. The 10^th edition of this conference, online in 2020 provides updates on:

• - Boards of Appeal selected case law highlights
• - Novelty - ranges and multiple selections
• - AI and computer implemented inventions
• - Enlarged Board of Appeal opinion: G3/19

In some cases, national authorities may license companies or individuals other than the patent owner to use the rights of the patent without the consent of the patent owner. “Compulsory licensing in Europe” provides a country-by-country overview of compulsory licensing regimes across the 38 EPC contracting states including possible grounds for grant, procedural framework and jurisprudence.

This distance learning course is offered to patent examiners of national IP offices, in particular those in charge of drafting communications on the merits of a patent application with respect to patentability requirements. Participants will broaden their skills in preparing the written search opinion accompanying a search report according to EPO Guidelines. Training will consist of on-line modules and tests. Recorded sessions of virtual classrooms which took place during the course OD09-2017 further enhance the understanding of the topics.

If you are interested in the course, get in touch with the Academy contact person at your office or with academy@epo.org.

Find out more about this conference, where European and international user organisations, universities were discussing key substantive patent law harmonisation issues.

How much do you know about time limits? Why not test your knowledge of the various topics in our question groups?

The European Patent Office addressed the challenges and opportunities of patenting Artificial Intelligence at a one-day conference on 30 May 2018, which connected people from business, academia, the judiciary, policy making and patent offices. This course room offers access to the recordings of the lectures and panel discussions.

Examination Matters has become the meeting place for patent attorneys dealing with the EPO in the patent granting procedure. This year's event focused on a single broad thematic area, chemistry, and included five specialised, advanced-level presentations given by senior examiners. In addition, there was a roundtable on strengthening diversity and inclusion in the patent world.

This high-level event was once again organised in close co-operation with the epi.

The technology of additive manufacturing has significantly developed over the last years and has resulted in an increasing number of applications over a growing number of technical fields. The workshop is intended to facilitate an expert exchange between examiners on the main challenges in this field.

Registration

The expert exchange on procedural and expert matters addresses which important aspects are to be considered regarding amendments and corrections during substantive examination proceedings.

The workshop includes detailed discussions on the admissibility of amendments at the various stages of the proceedings, in conjunction with the applicable legal requirements as well as with other elements, such as auxiliary requests, substantive priority claims and divisional applications, as examples.

This online seminar is intended to present the background and the impact of two decisions of the Enlarged Board of Appeal – G 3/19 and G 1/19.

On completion of the course, participants will have an advanced understanding of the two topics.

This course room offers access to videos giving an overview of the new Guidelines (in force as of March 2021) and the updates relevant for examiner procedures.

This course will provide participants with a comprehensive overview and understanding of issues arising in patent infringement cases and proceedings.

It is recommended for judges from EPC member states, with little or some experience in hearing patent cases. The course is only open to judges who sit in courts competent to hear patent cases in their countries.

In diesem Kurs finden Sie die Videos einer Vortragsreihe für Formalsachbearbeiter, welche im Februar und März 2017 stattfand. Juristen und erfahrene Formalsachbearbeiter des EPA behandelten Verfahrensfragen, Beispiele und aktuelle Entwicklungen aus speziellen Bereichen der Formalsachbearbeitung.

This course keeps you up to date with some of the most recent changes in patent law.

Opposition Matters follows in the footsteps of its sister events, Search Matters and Examination Matters, which over the years have become key events for patent searchers and attorneys alike. Have you ever wondered what the day-to-day work of an examiner in opposition involves? The Opposition Matters conference offered the opportunity to find out - direct from our examiners and with senior European patent attorneys co-presenting alongside EPO examiners.

This high-level event was once again organised in close co-operation with the epi.

Find here the recordings of the sessions.

This self-paced training course gives an in-depth overview on the opposition procedure at the EPO.

Pan-European Seal: this on-line course is mandatory for candidates in international & legal affairs (DG5).

The EPO has been conducting a pilot project since 4 May 2020 for oral proceedings by videoconference before opposition divisions.

Get a feel for this new way of conducting oral proceedings by watching a recording of mock proceedings featuring a real EPO opposition division and experienced European patent attorneys.

The European Patent Convention (EPC) sets out the legal framework for a single, harmonised patent granting procedure for the European patent, which exists in parallel with national patents subject to national prosecution procedures.

Post-grant litigation and enforcement procedures differ quite substantially across the EPC contracting states, as do the courts adjudicating on patent matters. This online course provides a country-by-country overview.

This course room offers access to material covering a range of topics related to computer-implemented inventions, patentability requirements to new technologies, artificial intelligence and specific uses of CII in fields like biotech and healthcare.

PCT Updates is an online seminar where an EPO team of PCT experts discuss the latest news and developments regarding the PCT: the amendments to the Regulations under the PCT,  the latest PCT developments on Covid-19 remedies and the entry into force of the new Rule 20.5bis. You can choose to watch the seminar in any of the three official languages of the EPO.

This course provides you with an overview and practical exercises about the problem-solution approach, which was developed to assess the inventiveness requirement of a European patent application.

This course is intended for those interested in judicial matters, such as the concept of "prior user", the principle applied to interpreting the scope of patent claims in an invention, the enforcement directive on IP rights and developments with regard to the unitary patent.

When having to decide if to grant a patent or refuse an application, the EPO examines whether an application meets the requirements of the European Patent Convention (EPC).

What exactly does this involve? And which are the steps of the procedure?

This course will give you an overview of the grant procedure at the EPO with insights into related formalities, structure and role of the Boards of Appeal and options to accelerate the procedure.