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.