Receiving PCT communications electronically from the EPO - a free online seminar!

The EPO is aiming to deliver a fully digitalised and paperless patent granting process in 2027.

From 2027 onwards, the EPO will be sending communications solely in electronic form and stop sending paper documents.

A number of documents are already available in electronic format only, such as copies of patent literature documents cited in search and examination proceedings under the EPC and PCT. These documents can be accessed online via Espacenet.

The EPO Mailbox is a great tool to receive communications electronically from the EPO. Since November 2022, international agents can receive all communications from the EPO in the international phase, in instances where the EPO is not the Receiving Office (RO) but acts as the (Supplementary) International Search Authority (SISA/ISA) or International Preliminary Examination Authority (IPEA). Examples of such communications include the international search report and the written opinion.

This digital service not only reduces paper consumption but also ensures the timely delivery of communications without the risk of loss through paper mail delivery.

The MyEPO Mailbox offers several user-friendly features.

• Users can opt to receive email notifications when new communications arrive in their mailbox.
• Communications can easily be viewed and downloaded by logging in through two-factor authentication at MyEPO services.

Over 1,000 companies currently benefit from this service, allowing them to access communications immediately in a high-quality electronic format. In addition, this service significantly contributes to our sustainability goals and has already generated savings of almost five and a half million sheets of paper since its launch in November 2022.

If you would like to find out more about this service provided by the EPO, join our free seminar on 6 February 2025, 17.00 - 18.30 CET.

As additional resources, you may find the following links to previous seminars useful:

• General introduction to MyEPO Mailbox
• How to access the EPO’s online services using two-factor authentication (2FA)

Should you have any inquiries regarding the use of the Mailbox for receiving PCT communications, please reach out to us at www.epo.org/support or contact your EPO key account manager, if one is assigned to you.