EPO Case-Law Update

Each year the Boards of Appeal (BoA) of the European Patent Office hand down more than 2000 decisions. These decisions set the standard for interpreting and applying the European Patent Convention. It is therefore vital for practitioners to keep up to date with the latest developments of the jurisprudence of the Boards of Appeal. The most important published and unpublished decisions of the Boards of Appeal will be presented. The panelists will discuss, in particular, the consequences of these decisions on patent practice, in particular with respect to the basis of the appeal proceedings and the admittance of late filed submissions (new requests, prior art and arguments). The impact of the amended Rules of Procedure of the Boards of Appeal will be analyzed and discussed.