EUROPEAN PATENT OFFICE
Information from the EPO
Decision of the President of the European Patent Office dated 24 November 2023 concerning the version of the EPO Online Filing software to be used for the electronic filing of documents
Further to the decision dated 3 May 2023 concerning the electronic filing of documents,1 and having regard to Rule 2 EPC and Rule 89bis.1 and 2 PCT, the President of the European Patent Office has decided as follows:
Article 1
Version of the software to be used for electronic filing
1. Under Article 1 of the above-mentioned decision dated 3 May 2023, documents may be filed electronically via the EPO Online Filing (OLF) software. The software is regularly updated and version 5.14 (build 5.0.14.181) or later must now be used for electronic filings by this means.
2. Once this decision has entered into force, electronic filings made using versions of the EPO Online Filing (OLF) software earlier than version 5.14 (build 5.0.14.181) will no longer be accepted by the EPO's receiving server.
Article 2
Previous decision superseded
When this decision enters into force, the decision of the President of the European Patent Office dated 8 July 2022 concerning the version of the EPO Online Filing software to be used for the electronic filing of documents (OJ EPO 2022, A70) will cease to have effect.
Article 3
Entry into force
This decision will enter into force on 1 January 2024.
Done at Munich, 24 November 2023
António CAMPINOS
President