EP patents without professional representatives

Art.133(2) EPC allows applicants having their residence (or principal place of business) in an EPC Contracting State to act in all proceedings before the EPO without having to appoint (and pay!) a European patent attorney. 

Have you ever wondered how often applicants actually do that?

The answer is 4% of the cases. 

Out of 140000 granted European patent documents (from 2019), we have found about 6150 patents not having a professional representative on file.

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A note for EQE candidates:

It is important to remember that Art. 133(2) deviates from Art.14(4) EPC! As an example, an Italian natural person living in the USA must appoint a professional representative (for acts other than filing), but he/she can file documents (to be filed within a time limit) under Art.14(4) in Italian.