As widely communicated by the EPO, the EPO smart card will be faded out for the EPO’s online services.
Practitioners who use the EPO smart card for the GPTO’s online services (in accordance with ยง3(2) numeral 2 of the Regulation for Electronic Filing with the GPTO) should be aware that the EPO smart card can no longer be used for signing in DPMADirektPro after December 31, 2024 (see GPTO information on digital signatures). This applies irrespective of the expiry date indicated on the EPO smart card. The 2FA, which the EPO has successfully introduced as new authentication mechanism, will not be available for procedural acts in the GPTO’s filing software DPMADirektPro.