MUNICH - As the European Patent Office (EPO) continues its journey towards a digital and sustainable future, postal acknowledgments of receipt will be abolished as from February 1, 2024. This change only affects communications on paper with the EPO.

All summonses and decisions issued on paper as from February 1, 2024 will no longer include acknowledgements of receipt (EPO forms 2936, 3936, and 7936). Users will thus no longer be required to acknowledge receipt of these documents.

Similarly, the practice of offering users the possibility to receive acknowledgment for subsequently filed documents on paper will be discontinued for submissions received after February 1, 2024. This does not apply to the few new European patent applications filed on paper, where receipt will still be acknowledged by post. For submissions filed via the EPO’s Online Services, acknowledgments will be issued electronically as before.

EPO forms 1037 and 7037 will be discontinued, whilst EPO forms 1038 and 7038 will be simplified.

The Boards of Appeal will adopt a similar approach with regard to postal acknowledgments of receipt.