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The My.epoline® portal
provides users with access to the EPO's personalised online
services, such as WebRegMT, My Files and the mailbox.
All these services are free of charge.
A number of the services, for example WebRegMT, can be accessed by authorised
users by way of a self-defined username and password, while others, such as the
mailbox, require
identification by means of electronic signature in the form of a smart card issued
or recognised by the European Patent Office (EPO).
list of recognised electronic signatures:
Users of the portal and its related services must comply with all the applicable
laws. Users must refrain from violating or attempting to violate the EPO's network
security and from misusing their access authorisation (for example by transferring
data to unauthorised third persons). In the event of any violation of these obligations
the EPO will be entitled to revoke the user's access rights without prior notice.
The services under this portal and the associated data from the EPO databases
are maintained and updated regularly. Great care has been taken in writing the
instructions for use of the services to ensure that the information supplied is
correct. Furthermore, the EPO makes every effort to prevent technical malfunctions.
Given the amount of data and information provided, however, it is not possible to
rule out errors and omissions altogether. The EPO is entitled to modify the facilities
of the My.epoline® portal at any
time to bring them into line with the state of the art and current legal requirements.
Such modifications may be possible during pilot operation in particular.
The EPO is liable for damages arising from a breach of duty on the part of its
employees or agents only where such breach of duty is caused wilfully or by gross negligence.
Where a user's claim for damages is based on simple negligence on the part of the EPO,
the EPO is liable only in cases where the neglected duty is essential or if the claim for
damages is based on an injury to health or life. In the case of damage to property due to
simple negligence, liability will be limited to typical and predictable damages, to a
maximum amount of EUR 5 000, whereby the right of the user to provide evidence of higher
damages is reserved. In the above cases of limited liability the EPO is not liable for
indirect damages, consequential damages or loss of profit.
The EPO disclaims all liability, however it may arise, in connection with any use of,
or inability to use, all or any part of the services or the contents of the services
available via the My.epoline® portal,
or any action taken or refrained from being taken as a result of the use of all or any part
of these services or the contents thereof. The EPO cannot guarantee that the underlying
files and the formats used are error-free and will not cause the user's systems to malfunction.
The EPO endeavours to ensure the availability of the portal and its related services on
Mondays to Fridays, from 08.00 to 18.00 hrs CET. However, it cannot guarantee that they
will always be available at these times. If either the portal or any of its electronic
services are overloaded or malfunctioning, or if an overload or malfunction is imminent,
it may restrict access to the
My.epoline® portal or close it down altogether.
For some services the EPO offers data security by means of smart card encryption in
combination with secure socket layer (SSL) access. However, the EPO cannot guarantee
the absolute security of transmitted data against attacks from third parties, nor can
it guarantee the absolute security of the data transmission process.
If an online service accessible via the
My.epoline® portal is not accessed by
a registered user for a period of six months, the EPO reserves the right to automatically
deactivate the user authorisation for that service without prior notice. Dormant mailboxes
may be automatically deactivated after three months of non-access. The terms and conditions
of use for individual services may stipulate even shorter periods than this.
The EPO reserves the right to add to or change these terms and conditions of use
at any time. The EPO will inform users of any changes in good time on the
My.epoline® website.
Users have the right to object to such changes within two weeks of notification thereof.
Continued use of the My.epoline® portal
services constitutes acceptance of the changes concerned. If a user explicitly objects to
any new terms and conditions of use the EPO has the right to revoke that user's access rights.
The operation, provision and use of the services available via the
My.epoline® portal,
all subsequent claims and any disputes arising out of or in connection with
the use of the system are subject to German law, excluding any references to
private international law.
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