Article 109

EUROPEAN PATENT OFFICE

Information from the EPO

Notice from the European Patent Office dated 27 November 2024 concerning the publication of the list of professional representatives

With a view to promoting digital transformation and enhancing transparency in line with the Strategic Plan 2028, the EPO will publish the full list of professional representatives before the EPO in a searchable database on its website from 3 February 2025. Building on the existing searchable database of professional representatives, the new and enhanced database will comprise an identical minimum set of data for each professional representative and will include telecommunication data if they have been provided and consent to their publication has been given. It will offer users an easy and reliable way to find a professional representative based on different search criteria.

The corresponding decision of the President of the European Patent Office1 will enter into force also on 3 February 2025.

Searchable database of professional representatives

The list of professional representatives will be published as a searchable database on the EPO website. The current requirement to publish new entries and amendments to the list in the Official Journal will cease as from this date. Deletions taking effect in December 2024 and January 2025 will still be reflected in the February and March editions of the Official Journal as a transitional measure since these deletions will not be displayed in the searchable database.

Publication details

The searchable database will contain the following information on each professional representative:

• last name and first name(s) of the professional representative, excluding academic titles
• representative number
• full postal address of place of business or employment
• dates of entry and re-entry
• date of deletion

If a professional representative provides, on a voluntary basis, telecommunication details (telephone number, email address, web address) and consents to their publication when requesting (re-)entry on the list or at any time subsequently, that information will be published.

When requesting (re-)entry on the list or at any time subsequently, professional representatives have the possibility to provide, on a voluntary basis, a personal email address to be used for administrative purposes by the EPO and the epi. That data will not be published.

The entry of a person deleted from the list of professional representatives will remain in the electronic database for five years from the date of deletion. However, entries of professional representatives deleted from the list of professional representatives will be displayed in the searchable database only if the deletion takes place on or after the date of entry into force of this decision.

The nationalities of professional representatives are checked and registered internally as a list entry requirement under Article 134(2)(a) EPC but are not published for data minimisation purposes.

The processing of professional representatives' personal data relates to the tasks performed by the EPO and is compliant with the legal framework on data protection applicable to the EPO.2

Entries in the searchable database

From the entry into force of the above decision, the data of all professional representatives will be published in the searchable database. As from that date, preference options relating to the publishing of personal data on EPO Forms 52300, 52301 and 52303 or in the representative area in MyEPO Portfolio will be available only for telecommunication details, and representatives' saved preferences for publication of their details will continue to be valid only for telecommunication details. The new publication regime with mandatory publication in the searchable database will automatically apply to them. Professional representatives are strongly advised to check the status of their personal data registered with the EPO via the representative area in MyEPO Portfolio and to update their data there, where necessary. Any necessary changes should be made in good time before 3 February 2025.

Previous announcement superseded

The announcement of the list of professional representatives before the EPO of 17 January 1978 (OJ EPO 1978, 109) is superseded.