EPO Issues Written Decision In G1/21 Concerning Videoconference Oral Proceedings

The EPO's Enlarged Board of Appeal (EBA) has today issued its written decision in case G1/21, which concerns the legality of holding oral proceedings by video conference without the consent of the parties. As previously reported (see here), the EBA issued an order (without detailed reasoning) in July 2021, which stated:

"During a general emergency impairing the parties' possibilities to attend in-person oral proceedings at the EPO premises, the conduct of oral proceedings before the boards of appeal in the form of a videoconference is compatible with the EPC even if not all the parties to the proceedings have given their consent to the conduct of oral proceedings in the form of a videoconference."