Representation before the European Patent Office

Badge of a European patent attorney with the fingerprint logo of the EPO. It serves for identifying the carrier at entry to the EPO premises and as an authorization for attending any legal proceedings in patent matters at the EPO.

The European Patent Convention (EPC), the multilateral treaty providing the legal system according to which European patents are granted, contains provisions regarding whether a natural or juristic person (i.e., a party to the proceedings) needs to be represented in proceedings before the European Patent Office (EPO).