(1) Proceedings before the Boards of Appeal are public, provided that information about the possibility of inspecting the files in accordance with section 32 (5) or the specification of the patent in accordance with section 58 (1) has been published. Sections 171b to 175 of the Courts Constitution Act apply accordingly, with the proviso that
1. the public may also be excluded from the proceedings at the request of one of the parties if there are concerns of a threat to the interests of the applicant meriting protection,
2. the public is excluded while the decisions are delivered up until publication of information about the possibility of inspecting the files in accordance with section 32 (5) or up until publication of the patent specification in accordance with section 58 (1).
(2) Proceedings before the Nullity Boards, including the delivery of decisions, are public. Subsection (1) sentence 2 no. 1 applies accordingly.
(3) The presiding judge is responsible for maintaining order when the Boards of Appeal are sitting. Sections 177 to 180, 182 and 183 of the Courts Constitution Act concerning the maintenance of order when the court is sitting apply accordingly.