TheEuropean Patent Office, set up in 1977, is the reference institute for European patent filing procedures.
What is the EPO?
The EPO centralizes all administrative procedures relating to the European patent. This title protects inventions throughout the European Union, as well as in Albania, Iceland, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Norway, San Marino and Turkey. A single procedure enables the holder to obtain the monopoly for a period of 20 years. If he finds that a competitor is marketing a counterfeit product in Germany, he can take legal action against him, even if he is based in France.
The European Patent Office provides the public and professionals with a range of services and tools for protecting industrial property. Espacenet enables you to search a worldwide database of patents published since the 19th century.
Documentation, advice and workshops on unified patents are also part of the EPO’s various activities.
Did you know?
The European Inventor Award is issued by the EPO. The next award ceremony will take place in June 2019.
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Protecting an invention in Europe
A patent is a national industrial property right. For protection in several countries at once, or simply outside France, the PCT is a procedure that simplifies patent filing abroad.
While there is no procedure for granting an international patent, the European patent is a title valid in several countries at once, thanks to the agreement of the member countries of the convention that created it.
Read more: Is it possible to file a worldwide patent?
The role of the European Trustee
When filing for a patent, the patent attorney represents you to carry out the formalities, as well as exchanging arguments with the Examiner during the examination of the title. For European patents, specific approval is required.
👉🏼 Read: How do I become an industrial property attorney?
With YesMyPatent, you have the support of Touroude & Associates’ INPI- and EPO-accredited European patent attorneys. Thanks to our platform, it only takes a few clicks to find the best expert specialized in your technical field.
Who can use the title of European proxy?
The title of European Patent Attorney is obtained after specific training. The exact term is “European Patent Attorney”. TheEuropean Qualifying Examination (EQE ) validates the candidate’s ability to represent applicants before the EPO, and to defend their rights.
However, simply registering as a candidate is not enough to qualify as an agent. Initial professional activity is mandatory.
Candidates wishing to take the EQE must have started work under the direction of an EPO-certified representative, or have represented their employer before the Office (in the case of salaried patent engineers in industry). Candidates may also have experience as EPO Examiners. The evaluation is then carried out in two phases. The first phase, known as the “preliminary examination”, consists of a single test. The second phase, for which participation is conditional on passing the preliminary examination, consists of 4 tests (A, B, C and D), which can be taken all at once or à la carte (for example, only A and B one year, and then C and D). Passing all 4 tests is a prerequisite for obtaining the title of European Patent Attorney.
