12 June 2023
The current edition of the European
Patent Bulletin contains for the
first time data on European patents with request for unitary effect following
the entry into operation of the Unitary Patent system
on 1 June.
Data on 600 patents with such requests are mentioned and will
be published as granted in the forthcoming edition of the Bulletin. In total, the EPO had received 800 requests for unitary
effect by the end of May, as well as 4.500 requests for deferred publication of
the grant of the European patent which will make those patents eligible for requesting
unitary effect in June and early July.
The entry into
force of the Unitary Patent system for 17 EU Member States has been the single
most important development in European patent history since the signing of the
European Patent Convention on 5 October 1973, nearly fifty years ago. The Unitary
Patent system offers
a host of expected substantial improvements for users everywhere, including cost reductions, streamlined procedures, increased
transparency, and enhanced legal certainty. The Unified Patent
Court (UPC), which also commenced its operations on 1 June, makes a centralised
litigation system for patents a reality in Europe and allows users to file
cases at the European level.