1.5 Manner of appointment of an agent, common agent or common representative 

Appointment of an agent, common agent or common representative for the international phase requires a declaration to this effect. This can be made either in the PCT request form (Box No. IV) or in a separate notice ("power of attorney"). For this purpose the "PCT/Model of power of attorney" may be used, which is available on the WIPO website.

For the appointment of an agent, a common agent or a common representative to be effective, the PCT request or the power of attorney must be duly signed by (all) the applicant(s) for whom the agent, the common agent or the common representative is intended to act. However, a power of attorney must only be submitted to the EPO if the EPO's waiver of the requirement to submit a separate power of attorney does not apply in the circumstances. For further information on separate powers of attorney and the EPO's waiver of the requirement to submit them, see GL/PCT‑EPO A‑VIII, 1.11 and GL/PCT‑EPO A-VIII, 1.13.

Appointment of an agent or a common agent may also be effected by referring in the PCT request form (Box No. IX) or in a separate notice to an existing general power of attorney deposited with the EPO. A copy of the general power of attorney must only be furnished if the EPO's waiver concerning a copy of a general power of attorney does not apply in the circumstances. For further information on general powers of attorney and the EPO's waiver of the requirement to submit a copy of them, see GL/PCT‑EPO A‑VIII, 1.12-GL/PCT‑EPO A-VIII, 1.13.

A power of attorney may not be filed by fax or using the EPO Web-Form Filing service.