Amendments made 1 April 2026 to close eOLF
Updated 31 March 2026
© Crown copyright 2026
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1. The comptroller has made the following directions under s.124A of the Patents Act 1977.
2. These directions come into force on 1 April 2026.
3. These directions vary the directions made on 5 December 2007 entitled “Filing patent applications by electronic means” (“the 2007 directions”) as varied by directions made on 31 March 2008 and 1 October 2016.
4. The effect of these directions is to close the electronic filing channel operated by the Intellectual Property Office which uses the desktop-based online filing software produced by the European Patent Office and known as eOLF.
5. The 2007 directions (as varied) shall be varied as follows:
(a) in paragraph 5, delete the definitions of the following terms
- appropriate hardware
- appropriate software
- digital media
- smart card application
(b) in paragraph 5, in the definition of “electronic application”, delete the words “processed using the appropriate software and appropriate hardware or”
(c) in paragraph 5, in the definition of “user”, delete the words “the appropriate software and appropriate hardware or”
(d) delete paragraphs 8 and 9 and their heading “Delivery of smart-card applications”
(e) delete paragraphs 12, 13 and 14
(f) delete paragraph 15 and its heading “Filing a smart-card application using digital media”
(g) in paragraph 21, delete all the words following “covering letter”
(h) delete paragraph 22
(i) delete paragraphs 24 and 25 and their heading “Delivery of documents in their original format”
(j) in paragraph 26, delete the words “or an enhanced electronic signature” and insert the word “or” between “facsimile signature” and “a text string signature”
(k) in paragraph 27, delete the definition of “enhanced electronic signature”
(l) delete paragraph 31
(m) delete the final paragraph of the directions which begins “Fees may be paid on a smart-card application….”
Julyan Elbro
Divisional Director – Patent Examination
Acting on behalf of the Comptroller
27 March 2026