News

The entry into force of the Unitary Patent system today marks a historic step in the completion of the Internal Market and ushers in a new era for the protection of innovations in Europe.

The Unitary Patent system brings a host of substantial improvements for users everywhere, including cost reductions, streamlined procedures, increased transparency, and enhanced legal certainty.

Starting today, users can apply for a single Unitary patent – a European patent with unitary effect - through a single procedure, subject to a single renewal fee in a single currency and litigate under a single legal system before the Unified Patent Court (UPC). The UPC, which also commences its operations today, makes a centralised litigation system for patents a reality and allows users to file cases at the European level.

Access to the Unitary Patent remains open to all EU member states. So far, seventeen states - Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden – have joined, with additional EU member states anticipated to participate in the future. As far as Cyprus is concerned, the political decision to join the Unified Patent system has already been taken and the necessary measures are being taken to implement this decision.

The economies of the member states currently participating generate an estimated combined GDP of more than EUR 12 trillion (corresponding to almost 80% of the entire EU’s GDP) and incorporate a population of nearly 300 million people.

The new Unitary Patent further solidifies Europe’s standing as a crucial global market for innovation and investment by offering a further option for patent protection in EU member states, in addition to the classical European and national patents. The entry into operation of the new system in Europe is expected to benefit micro-entities, such as start-ups, individual inventors and research centres. The step marks the single most important development in the European patent system in the last fifty years since the signing of the European Patent Convention on 5 October 1973, a landmark that will be celebrated later this year.