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Patent system
The history and future of the patent system, a look at different IP (intellectual property) systems around the world and information on ways to protect other ideas.
The EPC 2000: A landmark change for European patent practice
The European patent system will turn the page to a new and important chapter on 13 December 2007, when the revised version of the European Patent Convention, the EPC 2000, will come into effect.Patents around the world
A comparison of the different patent systems in Europe, the United States, China and Japan.Protecting other ideas
Information about trademarks, copyright and other ways to protect your IP.Scenarios for the future
Over the course of a three-year project, the EPO interviewed hundreds of experts from various fields to hear their opinions on how the IP system will develop in future. These four scenarios are the result of that work.