Oral proceedings calendar

Overview
https://www.epo.org/en/node/public-access-to-appeal-proceedings

Public access to appeal proceedings

Public access to appeal proceedings

Access to on-premise oral proceedings before the Boards of Appeal

We draw your attention to the security and safety regulations for your visit to the Boards of Appeal.

The health and safety of visitors and staff remain a top priority for the Boards of Appeal. We therefore ask you to observe the following recommendations.

  • If you have cold-like or COVID-19 symptoms, please inform the board without delay.
  • Maintain hand hygiene and further preventive measures to limit the spread of disease.
  • Show consideration for those who wish to wear a mask and who prefer to maintain physical distancing.

Please consult the oral proceedings calendar around three days before the oral proceedings to verify the venue and when exactly they are scheduled to begin.

Oral proceedings by videoconference (VICO)

It is at the discretion of a board in each case to summon parties to and conduct oral proceedings either in person or by VICO (Article 15a(1) RPBA). Conducting oral proceedings by VICO contributes towards reaching the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 13: Climate Action, by 2030. Prior to and/or after the notification of the summons, parties may, submit reasons to the board why they prefer a particular type of oral proceedings. The board has discretion over which type is selected.

Oral proceedings by VICO are also listed in the oral proceedings calendar.

For more information, see the EPO's technical guidelines for oral proceedings by VICO.

Members of the public can follow oral proceedings held by VICO remotely by sending an email in advance to reception-haar@epo.org.

To avoid disturbing oral proceedings, we ask members of the public to sign in in good time and to refrain from joining or leaving the proceedings while these are in progress.

It is not permitted to make photographic images or sound recordings or to retransmit any part of the oral proceedings. Nor is it permitted to forward the link received for connecting to the oral proceedings. Just like for parties, representatives and accompanying persons, members of the public must observe the decisions and guidance of the board on the organisation of the oral proceedings.

Mixed-mode oral proceedings

In mixed-mode oral proceedings, some parties, representatives and/or accompanying persons attend remotely by VICO while others are physically present in the oral proceedings room together with board members. A board has discretion over whether to allow a request for mixed-mode oral proceedings (Article 15a(2) RPBA). Members of the public may not request oral proceedings in mixed-mode.

Where a board has granted a request for parties, representatives and/or accompanying persons to attend remotely by VICO, members of the public can attend either in person or remotely by VICO. Members of the public can follow oral proceedings held by VICO remotely by sending an email in advance to reception-haar@epo.org. Just like for parties, representatives and accompanying persons, members of the public must observe the decisions and guidance of the board on the organisation of oral proceedings.

For those attending oral proceedings in person, see the section on access to on-premise oral proceedings before the Boards of Appeal.

Carl Josefsson
President of the Boards of Appeal