EPO patent process given thumbs up

The European Patent Office’s (EPO) handling of the post-grant activities of an issued patent has been given the thumbs up by an international management quality body.

Yesterday, December 16, the EPO’s  ISO 9001 certification was extended to cover its process for publishing patents and the administration of renewal fees.

An ISO 9001 certificate is an internationally recognised standard for a body’s providing of quality management systems.

Obtaining an ISO 9001 certificate requires an organisation to demonstrate a high level of commitment from senior management and staff.

The EPO previously achieved this award for its patent granting process in December 2014.

Welcoming the news, EPO president Benoît Battistelli said the award “demonstrates our dedication to continual improvement for the benefit of patent applicants and the public. It is a ringing endorsement of the EPO’s unwavering commitment to the highest quality patents and services”.