The European Patent Office (EPO) is one of the two organs of the European Patent Organisation (EPOrg), the other being the Administrative Council. The EPO acts as executive body for the organisation while the Administrative Council acts as its supervisory body as well as, to a limited extent, its legislative body. The actual legislative power to revise the European Patent Convention lies with the Contracting States themselves when meeting at a Conference of the Contracting States.
EPO headquarters in Munich, Germany
Aerial image of the headquarters in Munich (center), above it on the other side of the river Isar the science museum Deutsches Museum, to the left the German Patent and Trademark Office
EPO sub-office in Berlin
Signage at the Munich office of the European Patent Office, in its three official languages, German, English and French.
European Patent Organisation
The European Patent Organisation is a public international organisation created in 1977 by its contracting states to grant patents in Europe under the European Patent Convention (EPC) of 1973. The European Patent Organisation has its seat at Munich, Germany, and has administrative and financial autonomy. The organisation is independent from the European Union, and has as member states all 27 EU member states along with 12 other European states.
European Patent Office headquarters in Munich
