In September, the EPO commissioned a survey about their opposition procedure, in particular asking for user feedback on oral proceedings in oppositions carried out by videoconference (“ViCo”). We have previously reported on the success of the EPO’s current pilot project that is due to carry on until 31 December 2022, especially for a hearing involving a large numbers of participants.
As a leading European firm for oppositions and appeals at the EPO, 16 oppositions handled by Mewburn attorneys were included in the sample of cases selected by the EPO. We were very happy to complete the surveys and offer feedback based on our experiences.
The results of the survey have now been published by the EPO, and shows user satisfaction has risen to its highest levels yet with more than three quarters of respondents rating hearings held by ViCo as “good” or “very good”. These results closely mirror the entirely positive experience we and our clients have had with ViCo hearings. The survey results also note that the format has the added advantage of reducing travel time, cost, and carbon emissions, especially for parties attending hearings from outside of Europe.
The results of the survey also offer an indication that the EPO appears likely to extend the programme into 2023 and hopefully beyond.
