Publications

Case Law of the Boards of Appeal

The most important decisions of the Boards of Appeal are summarised in the  "Case Law of the Boards of Appeal".

This publication provides a compendious overview of the case law of the Boards of Appeal. The revised and expanded 10th edition (July 2022) takes into account decisions issued in writing up to the end of 2021, as well as particularly important ones from the first few months of 2022. It includes summaries of six additional decisions or opinions of the Enlarged Board of Appeal as well as extensive coverage of case law on the application of the revised Rules of Procedure of the Boards of Appeal (RPBA 2020).

Case Law of the Boards of Appeal (10th edition)

Previous editions of the publication "Case Law of the Boards of Appeal"

Abstracts of decisions

Prepared by the Legal Research Service, the publication "Abstracts of decisions" is a collection of summaries of key aspects of selected Boards of Appeal decisions. Each summary is in the underlying decision's language of the proceedings.

Supplementary Case Law Publications

Between editions of the "Case law of the Boards of Appeal" publications, summaries on important decisions of the Boards are issued as standalone compendia.

EPO Boards of Appeal Case Law 2022 - summaries of decisions in the language of the proceedings

EPO Boards of Appeal Case Law 2021 - summaries of decisions in the language of the proceedings

EPO Boards of Appeal Case Law 2020 (Supplementary publication 2, Official Journal 2021)  

EPO Boards of Appeal Case Law 2018 and 2019 (Supplementary publication 4, Official Journal 2020)

Annual reports of the Boards of Appeal

The annual reports provide information and detailed statistics about the Boards of Appeal.

Annual reports of the Boards of Appeal

Information from the Boards of Appeal

This supplementary publication to the EPO Official Journal contains Rules of Procedure, the business distribution schemes of the Boards of Appeal, and further useful information on the Boards and the appeals procedures.

Information from the Boards of Appeal

Quality-focused decision making

This paper outlines the most important factors which contribute to the quality of appeal decisions, describes the most important elements which a Board should consider in its procedures and in the drafting of its written decisions, and discusses approaches for ensuring quality. 

Quality-focused decision making

Case Law from the Contracting States to the EPC

This publication contains summaries of interesting patent decisions handed down by the courts of the contracting states to the EPC. The latest edition covers decisions rendered between 2014 and 2016.

Case Law from the Contracting States to the EPC