Whether in-person or via videoconferencing (ViCo) the format of oral proceedings should have no impact on opposition outcomes. Now that ViCo is mandatory for oral proceedings for EPO oppositions find out whether this is the case.
ipQuants AG recently released a second report on the impact of ViCo on EPO opposition outcomes to the public. In their first report they concluded, among other things, that introducing mandatory ViCo by the EPO was the right decision. It was clear from the data that the EPO had to act at that point in time. And they did. Their initial report details why they needed to act.
The now published follow-up study tries to understand if mandatory ViCo really impacts opposition outcomes. Everyone affected by this topic seems to have strong “emotions” about it, but it is interesting to study the data. There are arguments on both sides, but by objectively studying the data, we can then focus on how to make the most out of the situation.
It was no surprise that the EPO had to introduce mandatory ViCo (as detailed in the first report). Read the second report to understand that the EPO probably is going to see strong evidence that they took the right decision. Use your energy and resources to optimise your processes. ViCo means less travel and more time to research and prepare stronger arguments. We can all agree that this would benefit everyone.