EUROPEAN PATENT OFFICE
Information from the EPO
Decision of the President of the European Patent Office dated 17 December 2021 concerning the content, form and means of communication of the certificate for a European patent
The President of the European Patent Office, having regard to Rules 74, 87 and 96 EPC, has decided as follows:
Article 1
Form and means of communication of the certificate for a European patent
(1) The certificate issued for a European patent as granted or amended or limited will be communicated to the proprietor.
(2) Proprietors or representatives with an activated Mailbox will receive the certificate for a European patent as a digital file for download from the Mailbox.
(3) Proprietors or representatives without an activated Mailbox will receive the certificate for a European patent on paper and delivered by postal services.
(4) If there is more than one proprietor, a certificate will be issued to each of them.
(5) Certified copies of the certificate with the specification annexed will be issued in paper format to the proprietor upon request and payment of an administrative fee.
Article 2
Content of the certificate for a European patent
(1) The certificate will state:
− the patent number
− the name and address of the patent proprietor. If there is more than one proprietor, it shall mention each of them by name.
− the title of the invention
− the date of publication of the mention of the grant in the European Patent Bulletin
In addition, it will certify that the patent has been granted in respect of the invention described and the states designated in the patent specification to the persons named in the certificate.
(2) Paragraph 1 will apply mutatis mutandis to the certificate for a European patent that has been maintained in amended or limited form.
Article 3
Previous decisions superseded
Upon entry into force of this decision, the decision dated 16 July 2013 concerning the content, form and means of communication of the certificate for a European patent (OJ EPO 2013, 416) will cease to have effect.
Article 4
Entry into force
This decision will enter into force on 1 April 2022.
Done at Munich, 17 December 2021
António CAMPINOS
President