Judicial Administration Structure for IP Disputes: Boards of Appeal of the European Patent Office, European Patent Organisation

As the first and final judicial instance in the procedures before the European Patent Office, the Boards of Appeal provides an independent review of decisions taken by the Receiving Section, examining divisions, opposition divisions and the Legal Division of the European Patent Office. The Enlarged Board of Appeal provides answers to questions of law referred to it and is also competent to decide on petitions for review. The appeal procedure before the Boards of Appeal is governed by the European Patent Convention (EPC), Part VI, the Implementing Regulations of the EPC and by the Rules of Procedure of the Boards of Appeal.

Information on the Boards of Appeal, the appeals procedures and the Business Distribution Scheme is outlined in the annual supplementary publication to the Official Journal of the European Patent Office "Information from the Boards of Appeal".

Number of new and settled cases

Decisions of the Boards of Appeal

WIPO Lex – European Patent Organisation

European Patent Convention

Boards of Appeal of the European Patent Office

Enlarged Board of Appeal

Case Law of the Boards of Appeal, 10th edition

Publications of the Boards of Appeal