Since 1 October 2025, the European Patent Office (EPO) has been accepting colour and greyscale drawings for the end-to-end processing of European applications and in the European phase, provided they are filed electronically. Previously, colour drawings filed with the EPO were converted to black and white. This feature applies to all European patent applications filed since October 1st.
This measure is part of the digital transformation set out in the Office’s Strategic Plan 2028.
It has been expressed on numerous occasions by professional associations of applicants and intellectual property attorneys, whose views have been taken into account.
