To help the UK patent profession improve its world-leading expertise in virtual proceedings, CIPA held a series of monthly webinars from January to July 2021 and created a video conferencing toolkit to highlight best practice.
Each webinar attracted an audience of hundreds. The last event in the series was held with the EPO itself and included Vice-President Steve Rowan, Director of Business Analysis and Planning Yorick Lostetter, Director of Patent Law Heli Pihlajamaa, and Director, Office of the Vice-President DG Patent Granting Process Direction Pasquale Foglia. We also educated colleagues in countries outside of Europe in the new system.
When the EPO published a Progress Report in July 2021 evidencing the progress made in switching to videoconferencing, CIPA President Alicia Instone said: “We are proud of the lead we have taken in the promotion of videoconferencing as the future for our profession. The EPO’s ViCo progress report shows that feedback from the profession helped the EPO to adapt and refine its approach. Much of this feedback and support came from the UK.
“I am a strong advocate of measures to support equality and diversity and have been delighted to see the successful adoption of a technology that provides access to all regardless of personal circumstance or physical mobility.”
Date Published: 15 November 2022
