The EPO is reporting that growing numbers of patent owners are requesting unitary effect for their recently granted European patents, seeking to benefit from greater country coverage (17 participating states so far) and lower cost overheads, as well as less administration thanks to a single entry in the European Patent Register and a single annual renewal fee. The status of registration as of September 15, 2023 was 9293. These are spread across all technologies.
Also, the EPO celebrates its 50-year anniversary this month. The EP Convention was signed on the 5th of October 1973 and Ireland became part of the European Patent Organisation on August 1st 1992. They note with particular pride the technological innovations, many of which have changed our world; from the well-known QR code and MP3 format to life-saving vaccines and cutting-edge automotive stability systems.
Further Information
European Patent Office:
https://www.epo.org/applying/european/unitary/unitary-patent.html
Unified Patent Court:
