The European Patent Office (EPO) is an intergovernmental organization that grants European patents for the member states of the European Patent Organization. The EPO operates in accordance with the European Patent Convention (EPC), which provides a legal framework for the grant of European patents. The EPO is headquartered in Munich, Germany, and has offices in Berlin, Brussels, The Hague, and Vienna. The EPO also has a network of representative offices around the world, including in China, Japan, Russia, and the United States. In 2020, the EPO received a total of over 263,000 patent applications, of which around 69% were filed by applicants from outside the European Union. The top five countries of origin for these applications were the United States, China, Japan, South Korea, and Switzerland. The EPO granted a total of over 118,000 patents in 2020, making it one of the largest patent offices in the world. The EPO’s patent grant rate (the percentage of applications that are granted) is around 45%. In addition to granting patents, the EPO also provides a range of other services, including trademark registration, legal information, and scientific and technical information. The EPO is a member of the International Patent Cooperation Union (PCU), which facilitates international cooperation in the field of patents. Overall, the EPO plays a vital role in the protection of intellectual property in Europe and around the world.