e-learning centre of the European Patent Academy

The seminar is for experienced patent attorneys seeking to improve their expertise on the topic.

Do you want to learn how to apply the criteria for clarity as well as the methodology for determining unity of invention in line with EPO practice (Guidelines and case law)?

This course provides you with the information you need on these topics, while giving examples of relevant Boards of Appeal decisions related to clarity and unity of invention.

Registration

This distance learning course is offered to patent examiners at national IP offices. Participants will learn to assess novelty and inventive step in line with the EPO practice (Guidelines and Case Law). Virtual classroom sessions allow for direct interaction with expert tutors from the European Patent Office.

This distance learning course is intended for search champions nominated by their national office to help their local peers with the new Common Search Tool.

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.

This course includes presentations by EPO lawyers and examiners on recent changes in EPO substantive and procedural matters. Topics addressed are: assessing evidence and plausibility in sufficiency; essential features and their impact on compliance with EPC requirements; latest developments in the Guidelines referred to computer implemented inventions (CII); and procedural aspects at the final stages of the grant procedure towards the best possible protection.

This blended e-learning course addresses the preparation for the EQE pre-examination. The on-line training material contains in-depth articles, case studies, quizzes to test your knowledge and previous examinations. Experienced epi tutors support you in a discussion forum as well as in live virtual classroom sessions.

The fee of EUR 350,- covers the participation in the course.

Registration

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 go-to event for patent attorneys interested in finding out more about the patent granting procedure at the EPO. This year's event focused on procedural and substantive aspects of the examination procedure, including: auxiliary requests from the division's perspective, communicating successfully with the examining division, overcoming clarity issues efficiently, double patenting, late filings, efficient application drafting in the light of Rule 42(1)(c) EPC, correction of errors, hindsight when assessing inventive step, preparation of Rule 71(3) communications.

There was also a panel discussion on harmonising practices in applications relating to computer-implemented inventions.

This year’s event was once again organised in close co-operation with the epi.

The conference Examination Matters has become the meeting place for patent attorneys dealing with the EPO in the patent granting procedure. This course room offers access to the recordings of ten public lectures covering some of the most popular topics of the event.

This self-paced course provides candidates with help and guidance on how to tackle EQE papers A, B, C and D. 

This course room offers access to videos giving an overview of the new Guidelines (in force as of March 2022) and the updates relevant for examiner procedures.

These lectures are an opportunity to find out more about the services provided by the EPO, the latest developments in the PCT system and many practical aspects of the PCT procedure. The speakers are experienced PCT lawyers from the directorate in charge of European and international legal affairs.

This distance learning course is intended for beginners in the profession but also for patent practitioners/patent engineers in industry that would like to refresh their EPC knowledge and skills. Participants will find out about the main steps of pre-drafting and drafting a European patent application, together with the formal and substantive aspects of prosecution.

Virtual classroom sessions allow for direct interaction with epi experts.

Level of expertise: Basic level
Fee: 350 € (for epi members)

Following in the footsteps of Search Matters and Examination Matters, Opposition Matters is fast becoming a key event for patent searchers and attorneys alike, offering participants direct access to EPO examiners and lawyers and European patent attorneys with years of opposition experience.

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

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 is conducting oral proceedings by videoconference before examination divisions, and since 4 May 2020 also before opposition divisions.

Get a feel for this 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.

This course examines the patentability requirements, legal basis and other criteria in the field of information technology. In particular, it focuses on patentable and non-patentable subject-matter and on the examination of computer-implemented inventions with respect to the requirements of Art. 52 EPC (exclusion, industrial application, novelty and inventive step).

The fee of EUR 320,- covers the participation in the course. 

This seminar series focuses on aspects of inventive step and includes three complementary seminars, each of which comprises two online sessions: theoretical session (also open to patent attorneys) and practical session for examiners only. Topics covered are the person skilled in the art, Hurdle 2 for CII, and general and field specific indicators. Participants may register for one or more seminars within the series. 

This course has been designed for patent attorneys and IP professionals with experience in filing PCT applications with the EPO. It offers access to four online sessions which provide an opportunity to find out more about updates on the services provided by the EPO, the latest developments in the PCT system and many practical aspects of the PCT procedure.

The fee of EUR 100,- covers the participation in the course.

Registration

This self-paced course room gives candidates access to the actual pre-examination papers from 2016 to 2021.

The workshop addresses patenting issues related to the applications of quantum technologies. After a general introduction to quantum technologies, the workshop focuses on their applications to the fields of sensing and computing. 

Participants will be senior patent examiners working in the fields under discussion. The objective of the workshop is to foster an exchange of practices between the participants.

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 and the enforcement directive.

This course gives an insight into the various aspects of the taking of evidence in proceedings before the EPO, ranging from the hearing of witnesses to inspecting products. The course provides an overview of the relevant legal background and related case law, supplemented by practical examples. Final mock oral proceedings conclude the course.  

The fee of EUR 320,- covers the participation in the course. 

The workshop addresses patenting issues related to evolutions currently observed in the field of batteries. After a general introduction on the spectrum covered by these technologies, the workshop focuses on two specific aspects thereof:

– Cooling means
– Power management

The objective of the workshop is an exchange of practices between the participants. Participants are senior patent examiners working in the fields under discussion.

Watch here the live recording hosted on 05 April by Stefan Luginbuehl concerning the latest updates on the Unitary Patent and download the presentation shown.