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Croatia and Norway join the European Patent Organisation

Munich, 15 December 2007 -- Croatia and Norway have ratified the European Patent Convention (EPC) and will become the newest members of the European Patent Organisation on 1 January 2008. This brings the total number of member states to 34.

"The accession of Norway and Croatia extends the protection of intellectual property under the EPC to both the north and south of Europe," said Alison Brimelow, President of the European Patent Office (EPO), the executive arm of the European Patent Organisation.

"The setting-up and growth of the patent system is one of Europe’s great success stories. A fine example of international co-operation, European patents support innovation, competitiveness and economic growth for the benefit of the citizens of Europe."

"The global patent system is in a state of flux," Brimelow added. "We welcome Croatia and Norway as new members who can contribute to shaping the IP framework that will sustain and improve Europe's growth and competitive position."

Both countries have acceded to the revised version of the EPC, which entered into force on 13 December 2007.

The European Patent Organisation's members now include all 27 EU member states plus Croatia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey. Apart from the Organisation's members, its observer states Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia also recognise European patent applications and patents on their territory. European patents are therefore valid in 38 countries and reach a market of about 570 million people.

The EPO applies a centralised procedure to examine European patent applications for the Organisation’s member states. Set up in 1977, the EPO has its headquarters in Munich with branches in The Hague, Berlin and Vienna and employs around 6 700 staff.

For more information, contact:
Rainer Osterwalder
Press Spokesman
+49 89 2399-1820
press@epo.org