The EPO offers a system of internal legal remedies to review its procedures and safeguard the quality of its patents. Decisions reached in examination and opposition procedures may be appealed before the EPO’s boards of appeal. In 2016 the EPO’s technical boards of appeal settled 2 229 cases, slightly less than in the previous year.
| Technical cases received |
|
15.1% | |
| Technical cases settled |
|
-2.5% |
| Overall situation in 2016 | New cases | Cases settled | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Allowed (in part) | Dismissed | Settled otherwise | |||||
| Legal Board of Appeal | 19 | 18 | 4 | 5 | 9 | |||
| Technical Boards of Appeal | 2 748 | 2 229 | 687 | 556 | 986 | |||
| - Examination procedure (ex parte) |
934 | 975 | 199 | 240 | 536 | |||
| - Opposition procedure (inter partes) |
1 814 | 1 254 | 488 | 316 | 450 | |||
| Enlarged Board of Appeal | 9 | 18 | ||||||
| - Referrals | 1 | 0 | ||||||
| - Petitions for review | 8 | 18 | 1 | 14 | 3 | |||
| Disciplinary Board of Appeal | 25 | 25 | 5 | 9 | 11 | |||
| Total | 2 801 | 2 290 | ||||||
