View source for Epoline

{{update|date=July 2020}}
{{lowercase|epoline}}
'''epoline'''<ref>epoline is a [[trademark]] of the European Patent Organisation (see community trade marks No: [https://euipo.europa.eu/eSearch/#details/trademarks/000970566 000970566] and [https://euipo.europa.eu/eSearch/#details/trademarks/001070077 001070077] at EUIPO)</ref> is a set of [[World Wide Web|web]]-based [[computer program]]s and [[service (systems architecture)|services]] enabling applicants, [[patent]]ees and their representatives to file [[patent application]]s [[Internet|online]] before the [[European Patent Office]] (EPO), as well as to monitor the status of patent applications during their [[patent prosecution|prosecution]] and patents during an [[opposition procedure before the European Patent Office|opposition]]. The epoline products and services have been implemented and are maintained by the EPO, according to the Decision of the [[European Patent Office#Management|President]] of the EPO dated 29 October 2002.

== Products and services ==
Besides being available for filing European patent applications with the EPO, the epoline online filing software (also called "Online Filing", "OLF", "eOLF" or "epoline Online Filing") can also be used since December 3, 2003 for filing any official document during patent prosecution. The use of on-line filing passed the 50% level of patent application filings in January 2008.<ref name="burt">R. Burt, [http://216.92.57.242/patentepi/data/epi_02_2008.pdf ''Report of the On-line Communications Committee (OCC)'']{{Dead link|date=October 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, ''[[epi Information]]'' 2/2008, p. 59.{{dead|date=April 2017}}</ref> The ''epoline'' online filing software also allows to file patent applications online with the national patent offices that support it.

Until March 4, 2009, the epoline online filing software could not be used for filing oppositions or [[appeal procedure before the European Patent Office|appeal]]. This had been confirmed by a Board of Appeal decision in [[appeal procedure before the European Patent Office#References|T]] 514/05 of September 8, 2005, according to which  "[a]n appeal filed via epoline [could not] have any legal effect absent explicit permission of the President of the EPO."<ref>European Patent Office, [http://www.epo.org/law-practice/case-law-appeals/recent/t050514ep1.html Decision T 0514/05 of the Technical Board of Appeal 3.4.3 of September 8, 2005]. See also {{in lang|fr}} Laurent Teyssedre, [http://europeanpatentcaselaw.blogspot.com/2009/04/t76508-recours-formes-par-voie.html ''T765/08 : recours formés par voie électronique''], Le blog du droit européen des brevets, April 18, 2009. Consulted on May 1, 2009.</ref> The explicit permission of the President of the EPO has since been provided. Since March 5, 2009 indeed, documents in all proceedings under the EPC, including opposition, appeal, [[limitation and revocation procedures before the European Patent Office|revocation]], [[limitation and revocation procedures before the European Patent Office|limitation]] and review proceedings,<ref>EPO web site, [http://www.epo.org/patents/updates/2009/20090305.html ''NEW: online filing of requests and other documents in opposition, appeal, revocation, limitation and review proceedings'']{{dead link|date=April 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Updates, March 5, 2009. Consulted on March 7, 2009.{{dead|date=April 2017}}</ref> may be filed with the EPO in electronic form, i.e. with the epoline software <ref>EPO web site, [http://www.epo.org/patents/law/legal-texts/president/archive/20090226.html ''Decision of the President of the European Patent Office dated 26 February 2009 concerning the electronic filing of documents''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090309035829/http://www.epo.org/patents/law/legal-texts/president/archive/20090226.html |date=9 March 2009 }}, Notices and decisions of the President, 26 February 2009. Consulted on March 7, 2009.{{dead|date=April 2017}}</ref> or, subject to prior approval by the EPO, with other software.<ref>Decision of the President of the EPO dated 26 February 2009, Article 5(3).</ref> [[Priority right|Priority]] documents however cannot be filed electronically, "unless they have been digitally signed by the issuing authority and the signature is accepted by the European Patent Office."<ref>Decision of the President of the EPO dated 26 February 2009, Article 3.</ref>

WebRegMT is a monitoring tool for monitoring data from the online [[European Patent Register]]. The tool sends [[e-mail]] alerts when a change occurs in the status of a selected patent application or patent.<ref>European Patent Office web site, ''Guide to the "My.epoline" services'' [http://docs.epoline.org/doc/epoline/myepoline/en/WebRegMT_Help_EN.htm WebRegMT], retrieved on August 10, 2006 {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070921020330/http://docs.epoline.org/doc/epoline/myepoline/en/WebRegMT_Help_EN.htm |date=September 21, 2007 }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Electronic Filing System (USPTO)]]
* [[Deutsches Patent- und Markenamt]] (DPMA) filing software PaTrAS

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051101234442/http://my.epoline.org/portal/public Official website]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090309035829/http://www.epo.org/patents/law/legal-texts/president/archive/20090226.html ''Decision of the President of the European Patent Office dated 26 February 2009 concerning the electronic filing of documents''] as published on the EPO web site.
* Axel H. Horns, ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20060827193159/http://www.ipjur.com/data/030504epoline03a1.pdf  On Data Formats for the »epoline« System]'', [[European Patent Institute|epi]] Information 2/2003 p.&nbsp;58 (and [https://web.archive.org/web/20100707022355/http://www.ipjur.com/data/epoline03.pdf full text]: in the ipjur.com web site)
* Paul Brewin, [http://www.european-patent-office.org/news/info/2003_07_14_e.htm ''Regarding “On Data Formats for the ‘epoline’ System”''], Information from the European Patent Office, July 14, 2003

{{European Patent Organisation}}

[[Category:European Patent Organisation]]
[[Category:Patent search services]]