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National applications

If you intend to apply for a patent in just a few European countries, it may be better to choose the national route and file your application at the IP offices in the countries for which you are seeking protection.

Patent law in the EPO member states has been extensively harmonised with the European Patent Convention (EPC) in terms of patentability requirements. However, the national route generally leads to national rights which confer protection of differing extent. Further information may be found under the following links to the IP offices of the member states:

• AT Austria http://www.patentamt.at/Home/index.html
• BG Bulgaria http://www1.bpo.bg/index.php?lang=en
• BE Belgium  http://economie.fgov.be/opri-die.htm
• CH Switzerland http://www.ige.ch/
• CZ Czech Republic http://isdvapl.upv.cz
• CY Cyprus http://www.mcit.gov.cy/mcit/drcor/drcor.nsf/index_en/index_en?opendocument
• DE Germany http://www.dpma.de/index.htm
• DK Denmark http://www.dkpto.dk/
• EE Estonia http://www.epa.ee/default.asp?site_id=2
• ES Spain http://www.oepm.es
• FI Finland http://www.prh.fi/
• FR France http://www.inpi.fr
• GR Hellenic Republic http://www.obi.gr/online/
• HR Croatia http://www.dziv.hr/en/default.aspx?pArtID=6&selection=0
  
• HU Hungary http://www.hpo.hu/English/
• IS Iceland http://www.patent.is
• IE Ireland http://www.patentsoffice.ie/en/homepage.aspx
• IT Italy http://www.uibm.gov.it/
• LI Liechtenstein http://www.llv.li/amtsstellen/llv-aht-geistiges_eigentum/llv-aht-patentrecht.htm
  
• LV Latvia http://www.lrpv.lv/
• LT Lithuania http://www.vpb.gov.lt/
• LU Luxembourg http://www.eco.public.lu/
• MC Monaco http://www.epo.org/patents/patent-information/patlib/directory/monaco.html
• MT Malta http://mcmp.gov.mt/commerce_industrialproperty.asp
  
• NL The Netherlands http://www.octrooicentrum.nl/
• NO Norway http://www.patentstyret.no/
  
• PL Poland http://www.uprp.pl
• PT Portugal http://www.inpi.pt/irj/portal/anonymous
• RO Romania http://www.osim.ro/
• SK Slovakia http://www.indprop.gov.sk/
• SI Slovenia http://www.uil-sipo.si/
• SE Sweden http://www.prv.se/
• TR Turkey http://www.turkpatent.gov.tr/
• UK United Kingdom http://www.ipo.gov.uk

Please note that IP offices operate either a registration system or an examination system:

Registration system

- without search CH/LI, CY, ES, IT, LT, LV, LU, MC, PT, SI
- with search BE, FR, NL (searches done by the EPO); GR, IE

Examination system

- automatic AT, BG, DK, EE, ES, FI, IS, PL, SE
- on request CZ, DE, GB, HU, RO, SK, TR