EPO to prepare minutes of oral proceedings held by videoconference with the assistance of AI
The European Patent Office (EPO) has announced in the April 2025 issue of the EPO Journal that from May 2025 a pilot will start for using artificial intelligence (AI) to draw up the minutes of oral proceedings. The pilot will apply to a limited number of oral proceedings held by videoconference before the examining and opposition divisions. The goal of the pilot is to improve the quality and efficiency of the minutes of oral proceedings. Currently, the minutes of oral proceedings are written minutes prepared by the competent division (as required by the EPC). Under the AI approach, AI will assist in the drawing up of the minutes, but the responsibility for the content of the minutes will remain entirely with the competent division with the second member and the chair continuing to authenticate the minutes. The pilot is due to run until the end of 2025. Following a review of the pilot, the EPO will gradually extend this approach to all oral proceedings before the examination and opposition divisions and additionally those before the Receiving Section and Legal Division. Full details of the pilot, and the practicalities of using the AI assistance in oral proceedings, can be found here: Notice of the European Patent Office dated 7 April 2025 concerning the preparation of the minutes of oral proceedings held by videoconference with the assistance of artificial intelligence
For more information about the changes, or to discuss how this might affect oral proceedings practice, please do get in touch.
