Online filing of European patent applications

26.01.2001

Since December 8, 2000, it is now possible to file a European patent application online, on the web site of the European Patent Office (EPO), through a securised access.



Since December 8, 2000, it is now possible to file a European patent application online, on the web site of the European Patent Office (EPO), through a securised access.The application must be presented under a pdf form, by using the EPO freeware, or the software accepted by the EPO.An online European patent application also permits :- to receive some official notifications by e-mail ;- to eventually request for delay extension online.Today the online filing does not allow to benefit from a reduction of the filing fee. However, it should permit later to reduce the cost of the European procedure.Indeed, the EPO started a project of online service : **1**.Today, it is already possible to inspect some of the datas related to a patent file, in order to know for example if the renewal fees for a patent have been paid, or if an opposition procedure has been instituted.After the online filing, the next steps are the online presentation, for the European patent agents, of the search report, the online payment of the filing, renewal and procedural fees (foreseen before the end of year 2001).The online treatment of all the European patents applications in the course of the whole prosecution will allow to reduce the time taken to grant a European patent and to reduce the cost.