The European Patent Office (EPO) is aware that European patent applicants and proprietors sometimes receive invoices from firms and individuals inviting them to pay for the publication and/or registration of their applications and patents.

Despite the seemingly official appearance of such invoices, the services offered by these firms are in no way related to the processing of European patent applications and PCT applications by the EPO. There is therefore no obligation to pay any invoice issued by these firms for the processing of your patent application by the EPO. Moreover, any payment made to these firms will have no legal effect whatsoever in proceedings under the EPC.

More information and examples of such fraudulent invoices can be found on the EPO website at www.epo.org/warning.