http://www.epo.org/service-support/updates/2019/20190401.html
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Important
changes to fee refund procedures came into force on 1 April 2019.
Applicants can
choose to have refunds credited to either a deposit account held with the EPO
or a bank account. Fees will no longer be refunded by cheque.
In addition,
users will be offered more flexibility with respect to their choice of refund
recipient. Under the revised refund procedures, the EPO will refund
fees to any deposit account as indicated by the applicant or representative/agent
in the refund instructions.
Refund
instructions should preferably be filed in an electronically processable format
(XML) via EPO Online Filing, new online filing (CMS) or ePCT[1].
If the EPO
cannot make a refund to a deposit account, it will invite the party to the
proceedings to claim the refund via a dedicated portal. Further details can be
found on our website.
Further information
- Notice from the European Patent Office dated 27 February 2019 concerning the fee refund procedures (OJ 2019, A26)
- Web section “Pay fees and
claim refunds” -
[1] Refund instructions (PCT international phase) can be made on Form PCT/RO/101 submitted via ePCT, PCT-SAFE or via EPO Online Filing and new online filing (CMS) once the PCT-SAFE release of April 2019 has been incorporated into the systems. It is, however, also possible to submit refund instructions as subsequently filed instructions (eOLF: PCT-SFD, PCT-DEMAND; CMS: Form 1038 PCT; ePCT: DEMAND) from 1 April 2019 via these three means of filing. Any other means of online filing available at the EPO may be used without limitation to submit refund instructions as from 1 April 2019.