The European Patent Office (EPO) announced that they intend to accept patent drawings for publication with color drawings as of 1-October-2025.

In a decision of the President of the European Patent Office dated 7 July 2025, it was stated that, as of 1-Oct-2025, “When filed by means of electronic communication, drawings may also be executed in color or in greyscale, in durable, uniformly thick and well-defined lines, strokes or areas. They must also be sufficiently rich in contrast and suitable to be clearly displayed at a resolution of 300 dpi.”

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We expect that most or all national patent offices in EPO member countries will follow through and also accept color drawings for publication.  Given that the EPO is now accepting color drawings for publication, we expect that a number of non-EPO national patent offices will also follow through.

At present, color drawings are permitted (at least) in Korea, Israel, and by petition in the US and China.  The U.S. Patent Office (USPTO) will issue a patent with color drawings if a petition is filed demonstrating that a color rendition is necessary to clearly depict the relevant features.  The EPO change will likely also result in the USPTO relaxing its requirements for acceptance of color drawings, and perhaps accepting color drawings for publication without a requirement for a petition.

 

Stan Protigal

Of Counsel, Patent Attorney