CLR III C Oral proceedings

1.
Introduction
2.
Right to oral proceedings
2.1.
Right to oral proceedings in examination, opposition and appeal proceedings
2.1.1
Right to oral proceedings even after a Rule 71(3) EPC communication
2.1.2
Right to oral proceedings even if no new arguments are presented
2.1.3
No right to telephone conversation
2.2.
Right to oral proceedings before the Receiving Section
3.
Oral proceedings at the instance of the EPO
3.1.
Expediency of oral proceedings
3.2.
Obligation to attend oral proceedings taking place at the instance of the EPO
3.3.
Effects of withdrawal of a request for oral proceedings in case of oral proceedings at the instance of the EPO
4.
Request for oral proceedings
4.1.
Doubt as to the nature of the request for oral proceedings
4.2.
Wording of request
4.2.1
Wording constituting a request
4.2.2
Wording not constituting a request
4.3.
Withdrawal of request for oral proceedings
4.3.1
General principle: withdrawal only by virtue of a clearly expressed intention not to proceed with the request
4.3.2
Announcing non-attendance
4.3.3
Lack of any statement of grounds of appeal followed by lack of response to a notification of the inadmissibility of the appeal
4.4.
Further oral proceedings before the same department
4.4.1
Same subject of proceedings
4.4.2
Not the same subject of proceedings
4.5.
Auxiliary request for oral proceedings
4.6.
No oral proceedings in spite of unconditional request
4.7.
Request for oral proceedings in relation to further prosecution proceedings after remittal
4.8.
Request for oral proceedings as a reply to a communication
5.
Non-attendance at oral proceedings
5.1.
Right to present comments and non-attendance of a party by choice
5.2.
Non-attendance of party who filed new claims without amended description before oral proceedings; no reason for postponement of ruling
5.3.
Obligation to give notice if not attending oral proceedings
6.
Preparation of oral proceedings
6.1.
Fixing or changing the date for oral proceedings
6.1.1
Legal provisions and notices
6.1.2
Request for changing the date of oral proceedings
6.1.3
Request or reasons for postponement filed too late
6.1.4
Reasons submitted in a request for postponement
a)
Serious illness
b)
Booked holidays
c)
Speaking at a conference
d)
Business trips
e)
National holiday
f)
Newly appointed representative
g)
No legal representative appointed
h)
Absence of duly represented party or of inventor
i)
Postponement because of late receipt of board's communication
j)
New evidence or requests
k)
Proceedings before a national court
l)
Postponement in order to avoid adverse decision of the board
m)
Ongoing takeover negotiations between both parties
n)
Expected childbirth by the partner of the professional representative
6.1.5
Obligation to give reasons why representative cannot be substituted
6.1.6
Postponement of the oral hearing at the instigation of the EPO
6.2.
Notice of two months in the summons
6.3.
Final date for written submissions in the preparation for oral proceedings and late submission of new facts and evidence – Rule 116 EPC
6.3.1
Examination and opposition proceedings
6.3.2
Appeal proceedings
6.4.
Communication under Article 15(1) RPBA 2007
6.4.1
Purpose of communication under Article 15(1) RPBA 2007
6.4.2
Boards not bound by communication under Article 15(1) RPBA 2007
6.4.3
Boards' discretion to send communication under Article 15(1) RPBA 2007
6.5.
Location of oral proceedings
7.
Conduct of oral proceedings
7.1.
Length and structuring of oral proceedings
7.1.1
Speaking time during oral proceedings and interruptions by the board
7.1.2
Oral proceedings scheduled from the start for more than one day
7.1.3
Continuation of oral proceedings beyond the last scheduled day
7.1.4
Duration of deliberations
7.2.
Excluding the public from oral proceedings
7.3.
Oral proceedings held by video-conference
7.4.
Computer-generated presentations and other visual aids
7.5.
Sound recording
7.6.
Handwritten amendments during oral proceedings before the board
7.7.
Interpreting in oral proceedings
7.8.
Oral submissions by an accompanying person
7.9.
Closing the debate
7.10.
Minutes of oral proceedings (Rule 124 EPC)
7.10.1
Content of minutes
7.10.2
No recording of statements for use in subsequent national proceedings
7.10.3
Correction of minutes
7.10.4
Signing of minutes
7.10.5
Refusal to record statement not an infringement of the right to be heard
7.11.
Presence of assistants during deliberations of the board
8.
Costs
8.1.
Apportionment of costs
8.2.
Interpreting costs during oral proceedings
 

Source: http://www.epo.org/law-practice/legal-texts/html/caselaw/2019/e/clr_iii_c.htm

Date retrieved: 17 May 2021

88 references found.

Click X to load a reference inside the current page, click on the title to open in a new page.

Case Law Book

Case Law Book: III Amendments