The German Patent and Trademark Office (GPTO) has enabled electronic file inspection of patent and utility model applications, as well as granted patents and registered utility models, via the Internet as of January 7, 2014.

Documents available for inspection include official communications, decisions, search reports, and submissions relevant to the proceedings.  Other documents relevant to patents and utility models have also been made available. The documents are provided in PDF format, free of charge.

In particular, all granted patents, registered utility models, patent applications and utility model applications published on or after January 21, 2013 will be available for inspection.

Cornelia Rudloff-Scäffer, President of the GPTO, indicated that with the electronic file inspection, the GPTO offers an innovative service that will make the work of the GPTO’s customers significantly easier. The availability of electronic file inspection via the Internet is intended to pass on the advantages of electronic file administration to the GPTO’s customers and reduce administrative overhead.

Although generally not as convenient as electronic file inspection, it is still possible to submit a written request for a physical file inspection to the GPTO and to request excerpts of applications and protected rights from the GPTO. Thus, documents in the archives of the GPTO in Munich, Jena and Berlin can still be examined.

Documents protected according to copyright or privacy laws are excluded from inspection.

File inspection of patent and utility model documents is governed by §31 of the German Patent Law and §8 of the German Utility Model Law. The necessary changes to the laws for the implementation of electronic file inspection were carried out via the amendments to the laws announced on October 24, 2013.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact schiuma@mueller-bore.de