EPO announced the first EPAC exam
Yesterday, it was announced that the EPO introduces a new certification scheme for patent administrators: EPAC.
The News message indicates:
"The EPO has developed a new certification: the European patent administration certification (EPAC). Designed for paralegals, patent administrators and formalities officers, the EPAC will equip professionals with the knowledge and skills to manage filing, prosecution, grant and maintenance associated processes for European and international patent applications before the EPO. Enrolment begins in September, with the first exam planned on 12 December 2022.
European patent system users have increasingly suggested the convenience of a certification scheme for paralegals and administrative staff working in intellectual property rights. While training and certification opportunities exist in a limited number of countries, demand at the European level is growing. To address these needs, the EPO developed the EPAC, offering tailor-made training in dedicated courses and providing a new high-quality certification.
The examination focuses on procedural aspects under the European Patent Convention (EPC), the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and the Paris Convention. It also covers national laws and other agreements applicable to European patents and patent applications, including the London Agreement. Candidates will answer questions on the various patenting routes, application procedures and the procedural, administrative and formalities-related tasks involved."
Preparation for EPAC 2022
DeltaPatents will offer a course covering the EPAC syllabus for candidates that plan to sit EPAC 2022.
DeltaPatents has been offering a similar course to candidates preparing for the national formalities exam in the Netherlands, which also covers the EPC and PCT with essentially the same scope, for many years already. We are therefore able to provide a course to prepare for EPAC 2022 despite the very short notice of the new exam. The course is designed for and directed to paralegals, patent administrators and formalities officers.
The course will consist of a series of 12, ~weekly, half-day online sessions, with interactive presentations and homework by which candidates can further develop their knowledge, understanding and skill. Candidates well need to have sufficient time available to make the homework to benefit optimally from the course. By providing the sessions in an (approximate) weekly rhythm in Q3-Q4 2022, participants get into a steady study mode. By using half-day sessions, participants are able to pay attention full-time while also keeping the amount of new information per session under control. By using an online format, participants can task part from all over Europe - or even outside. The last two sessions will be scheduled in between the Mock and the real exam.
Our detailed course offering is provided on our website: please refer to our EPAC course page and the brochure on that page our detailed announcement and enrollment to the course.
We also offer a variety of books in our webshop that EPAC candidates may find useful. In particular:
- "References to the European Patent Convention" by Jelle Hoekstra
- "The Cross-Referenced Patent Cooperation Treaty" by Cees Mulder
- "Topic-Related Index to the EPC and PCT" by Cees Mulder and Roel van Woudenberg
