The European Patent Office (EPO) is an intergovernmental organization responsible for granting European patents. Founded in 1977 and based in Munich, Germany, the EPO is responsible for the examination and granting of European patents in accordance with the European Patent Convention (EPC). Its primary objective is to provide an efficient and consistent procedure for the granting of patents in the EPC member states, which currently number 39.
The EPO plays a crucial role in the European patent system by offering applicants the opportunity to file a single patent application, which is then examined and granted by the EPO and subsequently validated in the countries designated by the applicant. This simplifies the process and reduces costs for inventors seeking protection for their inventions in multiple European countries.
In addition to its patent examination and granting functions, the EPO also handles the publication of patent applications, manages opposition proceedings against granted patents, maintains the register of European patent applications until grant, and with the implementation of the European unitary patent oversees the management of a federated register of unitary patents.