New EPO And Unitary Patent Guidelines Come Into Force

Updated guidelines issued by the European Patent Office (EPO) have come into force today, 1^st April 2025.

The EPO annually update their guidelines which provide comprehensive information on all aspects of the search, examination, granting and post-granting processes at the EPO. In 2025, for the first time, the guidelines also incorporate information on the Unitary Patent including the procedures involved in obtaining a Unitary Patent from the European Patent Office once an application has been granted as a European patent. The information previously available in the EPO's Unitary Patent Guide will in future form part of the core EPO guidelines – representative of the fact that the registration and renewal of Unitary Patents are becoming increasingly important and central functions of the EPO.