Updated version of the Unitary Patent Guide available
The EPO today has published a fully updated edition of its "Unitary Patent Guide". It aims to provide companies, inventors and their representatives with an outline of the procedure on how to obtain a Unitary Patent once the EPO has granted the corresponding European patent on the basis the European Patent Convention. The Guide also gives a practical overview of the Unitary Patent system for users and provides useful information on how to file a request for unitary protection and also looks at accessory procedures relating to Unitary Patents, such as those to be followed under the compensation scheme for translation costs or when registering a statement on licences of right. It also informs on how to pay renewal fees for Unitary Patents.
The Guide can be consulted both in a printable PDF-version and in an HTML version which is optimised for online use.
The Unitary Patent and the Unified Patent Court are the building blocks of the Unitary Patent system which will supplement and strengthen the existing centralised European patent granting system. They will offer users a cost-effective and procedurally attractive option for broad patent protection and dispute settlement across Europe. The Unitary Patent system is expected to become operational still in the second half of 2022.
