Response to User Consultation on amendment of a15aRPBA

CIPA believes that Videoconferencing (ViCo) is inevitable in the long term for all oral proceedings at the EPO.

This is subject only to the underlying systems being fit for purpose but, as has already been demonstrated, ViCo is suited to the technical focus of patent proceedings (see for example “Opposition oral proceedings by videoconference in the context of COVID-19 – Progress Report”) and to the distributed nature of the EPO and its users. During the pandemic, to ensure access to justice, the Boards of Appeal should adopt the same rules relating to ViCo as have been implemented at first instance. This period can be used to allow fine tuning of the technology, as proposed in the Progress Report.

Download the full response below.

Date Published: 4 December 2020

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