On October 31st this year the 500th anniversary of the Reformation will be celebrated. The day has been exceptionally designated a national holiday in Germany.
The EPO filing offices in Munich, Berlin and The Hague will be open [1] on the 31st of October. However, due to the national holiday in Germany, mail will not be delivered to the EPO filing offices in Germany since local postal service providers will not be operating on that day. The EPO therefore informs users that there will be an extension of periods expiring on October 31st under Rule 134 EPC.
Documents may still be filed in electronic form, by fax or by delivery by hand at the EPO premises or in the automated mailboxes [2].
Fee payments should preferably be made via a deposit account held with the EPO or by online fee payment. Attention is drawn to the possibility to submit debit orders with a deferred execution date. For payments made by bank transfer, reference is made to Article 7(3) RFees.
Oral proceedings scheduled on that day will be taking place as usual.