General authorisation

12I (We)
Full name and address of authorisor(s)3do hereby authorise

Please forward the original direct to the EPO,
Legal Division (Dir. 5.2.3) in Munich.
Please read the attached notes before
completing the form.

Generalauthorisation No.
(for official use only)

Full name and addressof authorisee: professional
representative, legal practitioner,employee, association ofrepresentatives – please specify

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to represent me (us) in all proceedings established by the European Patent Convention and to act for me (us) in all patenttransactions.
This authorisation includes the power to receive payments on my (our) behalf.

This authorisation shall also apply to the same extent to any proceedings established by the Patent Cooperation Treaty.

5Sub-authorisation may be given.

Additional representatives indicated on supplementary sheet.

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EPO 1004 09.11

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Please return a copy, supplemented by the general authorisation number, to the authorisor.

Name (printed)

Position within the company (where relevant)Place, Date

Signature** The form must bear the personal signature(s) of the authorisor(s). In the case of legal persons, the signaturemust be that of the person empowered to sign on behalf of the company. If possible, please sign in blue.

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Notesto the General authorisation Form (EPO 1004)

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The use of this form is recommended when authorising representatives before the European Patent Office (EPO): professional
representatives and legal practitioners under Article 134(8)EPC; employees under Article 133(3), first sentence, EPC andassociations of representatives under Rule 152(11) EPC. As toArticle 133(3), second sentence, EPC no implementing regulation
has been issued up to the present time. If the authorisee is an
employee who is not a professional representative or a legal
practitioner, the authorisor must make a declaration in the generalauthorisation or in a covering letter that the authorisee is hisemployee.

4The powers mentioned separately in the form (to receivepayments, to act in PCT proceedings and to give sub-authorisation)must be expressly granted (eg by placing a cross in the appropriate
box on the form). Powers other than those three mentioned above
may not be excluded in a general authorisation.

5The EPC provisions regarding authorisations are to be applied tosub-authorisations (Article 133(3), first sentence, Rule 152 EPC),
be it(a) a specific sub-authorisation (Rule 152(2), second sentence,EPC), or(b) a general sub-authorisation (Rule 152(4) EPC).
When issuing a general sub-authorisation, Form EPO 1004 can for
example be used and the sub-authorisor must indicate the generalauthorisation number from which he derives his power. When it isregistered, the general sub-authorisation keeps the same number
as the general authorisation by virtue of which it has been granted.

The name and address of the party giving the authorisation(hereafter “authorisor”) and the state in which their residence or
principal place of business is located must be given, in accordancewith Rule 41(2)(c) below, in the address box:
“Names of natural persons shall be indicated by the person’sfamily name, followed by his given names. Names of legal persons,as well as of bodies equivalent to legal persons under the law
governing them, shall be indicated by their official designations.
Addresses shall be indicated in accordance with applicable
customary requirements for prompt postal delivery and shallcomprise all the relevant administrative units, including the housenumber, if any.”

Subject to any provisions to the contrary contained therein, ageneral sub-authorisation does not terminate vis-à-vis the EPO
upon the death of the person who gave it (Rule 152(9) EPC), nor
upon the termination of the authorisation given to the sub-authorisor
for any other reason.
6The EPO returns a copy, supplemented by the general authorisation
number, to the authorisor if the appropriate box is crossed (see 4).
In any case the EPO will transmit a copy to the authorisee(see 3 above).

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Where the authorisation is signed on behalf of a legal person,
only such persons as are entitled to sign by law and/or inaccordance with the articles of association or equivalent of
the legal person may do so (Article 58 EPC).
An indication is to be given of the signatory’s entitlement to sign,eg president, director, company secretary; Geschäftsführer,
Prokurist, Handlungs-bevollmächtigter; président, directeur, fondéde pouvoir. If any other employee of a legal person signs by virtueof a special authorisation conferred by the legal person, this is to
be indicated and a copy of the special authorisation, which neednot be certified, is to be supplied. An authorisation bearing thesignature of a person not entitled to sign will be treated as anunsigned authorisation.

Where the authorisation is being given by more than one party, therelevant information regarding the additional authorisors must beindicated to the right of the address box.
Where there are several authorisors, a general authorisation canalso be used when only one or more of them are to be represented.
If one of several authorisors cancels a general authorisation,
it remains valid for the other authorisors under the old registration
number. This applies equally to general authorisations alreadyregistered.
3The name(s) and address of the place of business of theauthorisee(s) must be given in accordance with Rule 41(2)(c)(see note 2 above). Please specify whether it is a professional
representative, a legal practitioner, an employee or an associationof representatives. As regards the authorisation of an associationof representatives, within the meaning of Rule 152(11) EPC,
the name and the number of the association must be given.
If there is more than one authorisee, please insert in theaddress box the name and address of the place of business of
the authorisee to whom the EPO is to send a copy of the form
bearing the general authorisation number.
A communication regarding the registration of the generalauthorisation is not inserted in the files relating to the application
for which the authorisee is or is to be appointed as representative.
Therefore, it is not permissible to revoke earlier specificauthorisations in a general authorisation. When a generalauthorisation is intended to supersede an earlier one, the earlier
authorisation’s number must be stated.
The general authorisation of one or more authorisees terminates
as soon as the authorisor or the authorisee concerned –not another authorisee – has communicated the termination to
the EPO in Munich (Directorate 5.2.3). The communicationmust be clear and unambiguous. It is not sufficient to file a
new general authorisation omitting the name of the authorisee
concerned (Rule 152(7) and (8) EPC).

EPO 1004 09.11

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Notes on General authorisation(EPA/EPO/OEB Form 1004)
I.

General instructions

representatives listed in it in any specificproceedings before the EPO. Nor does a generalauthorisation allow the EPO to assume, without
any additional information, that a person listed in it
is to be appointed as a representative in a specificcase. Therefore, a party wishing to appoint therepresentative(s) listed in a general authorisation
in a specific case must notify the EPO accordingly,
referring to the number of that already registeredgeneral authorisation (cf. Guidelines A-VIII, 1.7).

These notes explain how to complete
EPA/EPO/OEB Form 1004.
The use of this form is recommended for issuing ageneral authorisation for representatives before
the European Patent Office (EPO): professional
representatives and legal practitioners underArticle 134(1) and (8) EPC, employees underArticle 133(3), first sentence, EPC andassociations of representatives under
Rule 152(11) EPC. If the person authorised(hereinafter: "authorisee") is an employee who is
not a professional representative or a legal
practitioner, the party giving the authorisation(hereinafter: "authorisor") must declare that theauthorisee is their employee on the generalauthorisation form itself (in the authorisee field) orin a covering letter. As to the case referred to in
Article 133(3), second sentence, EPC, no
implementing regulation has been adopted as yet.

Form 1004 is available on the EPO website(epo.org).

II. Filling in the form
The numbering below corresponds to the sectionsof Form 1004 "General Authorisation".
1.

Professional representatives whose names appear
on the list maintained by the EPO and who identify
themselves as such are required to file a signed
authorisation only in the cases specified under
Rule 152(1) EPC in conjunction with Article 1 ofthe decision of the President of the EPO dated
12 July 2007 on the filing of authorisations, Special
edition No. 3, OJ EPO 2007, L.1.

"Names of natural persons shall be indicated by
the person's family name, followed by his given
names. Names of legal persons, as well as ofbodies equivalent to legal persons under the law
governing them, shall be indicated by their official
designations. Addresses shall be indicated inaccordance with applicable customary
requirements for prompt postal delivery and shallcomprise all the relevant administrative units,including the house number, if any."

By contrast, legal practitioners entitled to act as
representatives under Article 134(8) EPC andemployees who are representing a party under
Article 133(3), first sentence, EPC but are notprofessional representatives must always file asigned authorisation or refer to a generalauthorisation already on file (Rule 152(1) EPC in
conjunction with Articles 2 and 3 of the abovementioned decision of the President of the EPO
dated 12 July 2007, Special edition No. 3, OJ EPO
2007, L.1.).
All decisions, summonses and communications
will be sent to the appointed representative(Rule 130 EPC), except where employees(Article 133(3) EPC) are authorised, in which casethese documents will be sent to the applicant.

EPO 1004 Note 11.23

An authorisation does not terminate vis-à-vis theEPO upon the death of an authorisor unlessexpressly provided otherwise on a separate sheet(Rule 152(9) EPC).
Please note that filing a general authorisation is
distinct from appointing a representative for aspecific case. A party granting a generalauthorisation is not bound to appoint any of theEnter in the box the name and address of theauthorisor and the state in which their residenceor principal place of business is located, in the way
specified in Rule 41(2)(c) EPC:

Where the authorisation is given by more than one
party, the details for the additional authorisors
must be indicated on a separate sheet. If there
are several authorisors, a general authorisation
can also be used where only one or some of them
are to be represented. If one of several authorisors
cancels a general authorisation, it remains valid forthe others under the previous registration number.
This applies equally to general authorisations
already registered.
2.

Enter here the authorisee's name and theaddress of their place of business in the same way
as specified in note 1 above. Please also specify
here whether the authorisee is a professional
representative, a legal practitioner, an employee oran association of representatives. If an associationof representatives within the meaning ofRule 152(11) EPC is authorised, the name and theregistration number of the association must begiven. Where the authorisation is given to morethan one representative, please enter thedetails of the authorisee to whom the EPO is tosend a copy of the form showing the general1

authorisation number. The details for theadditional authorisees must be indicated on aseparate sheet. Since no communication
regarding registration of the general authorisationis added to the files relating to the application forwhich the authorisee is or is to be appointed asrepresentative, it is not permissible to revoke
earlier specific authorisations in a generalauthorisation. If a general authorisation is intended
to supersede an earlier general authorisation, thenumber of the earlier one must be stated. A
general authorisation of one or more authorisees
terminates as soon as the authorisor or theauthorisee concerned – but not anotherauthorisee – has communicated its termination tothe EPO (D. 5.3.2.1). The communication must be
clear and unambiguous. It is not sufficient to file a
new general authorisation which does not include
the name of the authorisee concerned(Rule 152(7) and (8) EPC).

EPO 1004 Note 11.23

3.

A general authorisation may cover more than one
application or patent and entitles a representative
to take all procedural acts on behalf of theauthorisor(s). However, the powers mentioned
separately on the form (to act in PCT proceedings,
to act in proceedings relating to the European
patent with unitary effect, to receive payments
and to issue a sub-authorisation) must each be
expressly granted by checking the appropriate
boxes. Powers other than those mentioned above
cannot be excluded in a general authorisation.

4.

Checking this box entitles the representative to act
in proceedings established by the Patent
Cooperation Treaty.

5.

The EPC provisions governing representation
apply mutatis mutandis to any proceedings relating
to European patents with unitary effect (Rule 20(1)and (2)(I) of the Rules relating to Unitary PatentProtection). Checking this box entitles therepresentative to act in proceedings relating to theEuropean patent with unitary effect, including filinga request for unitary effect.

6.

The EPC provisions on authorisations also applyto any sub-authorisation (Article 133(3), first
sentence, and Rule 152 EPC), be it (a) a specificsub-authorisation (Rule 152(2), second
sentence, EPC) or (b) a general subauthorisation (Rule 152(4) EPC). EPO Form
1004 can also be used to issue a general subauthorisation; the sub-authorisor must thenindicate the number of the general authorisationfrom which they derive their power to issue it.
When it is registered, the general subauthorisation is given the same number as thegeneral authorisation by virtue of which it has beenissued.

7.

If this box has been checked, the EPO will return acopy showing the number under which it hasregistered the general authorisation to theauthorisor (see note 2 above). In all cases, theEPO will transmit a copy to the authorisee (seenote 3 above).

8.

Handwritten (wet) signature(s) of the authorisor(s).
Where the authorisation is signed on behalf of alegal person, only such persons as are entitled

to sign by law, by the legal person's articles ofassociation or equivalent or by a special
mandate may do so. In all cases, an indication isto be given of the signatory's position within theentity entitling them to sign (e.g. president,director, company secretary; Geschäftsführer,Prokurist, Handlungsbevollmächtigter; président,directeur, fondé de pouvoir). Employees signingon behalf of a legal person must print their nameand their position within the company. They must
be entitled to sign legally binding acts by nationallaw, by the legal entity’s articles of association orequivalent, or by a special mandate. It lies within
the responsibility of the authorisor to ensure thatthe signatory is duly entitled to sign theauthorisation according to the national law
applicable. The EPO reserves the right to request
documentary proof of the signatory's authority tosign if the circumstances of a particular casenecessitate this. An authorisation bearing thesignature of a person not entitled to sign willbe treated as an unsigned authorisation.
Disclaimer:
Please note that any change or addition madeto the standard text of Form 1004 has no legal
consequence before the EPO.

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