EPO Case-Law Update - Recent decisions of the Boards of Appeal

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The most important published and unpublished decisions of the Boards of Appeal will be presented.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 possible impact of
the amended Rules of Procedure of the Boards of Appeal, intended to enter into force 2020, will be analyzed and discussed in comparison with the old RPBA.