7.5.6 Technical details and general remarks 

When printing a web page, it is important to ensure that the complete URL and the relevant publication date are clearly legible.

It has to be borne in mind that publication dates can be given in different formats, in particular the European format dd/mm/yyyy, the US format mm/dd/yyyy or the ISO format yyyy/mm/dd. Unless the format is explicitly indicated, it will be impossible to distinguish between the European format and the US format for days 1-12 of each month.

If a publication date is close to the relevant priority date, the time zone of publication may be crucial in interpreting the publication date.

The examiner must always indicate the date on which the web page was retrieved. When citing internet disclosures, the examiner must explain the prior-art status of the document, for example by stating:

(i)how and where the publication date was obtained (e.g. that the eight digits in the URL show the date of archiving in the format yyyymmdd) and 

(ii)any other relevant information (e.g. where two or more related documents are cited, how they are related, for instance by mentioning that following link "xyz" on the first document leads to the second document). 

When citing a multimedia disclosure found on the internet, such as a video or podcast, the division will request capture and storage of electronic evidence suitable to prove its content and availability to the public. If the disclosure later ceases to be available on the internet, this evidence will be made available to the parties to the proceedings on request (see also B‑X, 11.6).