ARTICLE · 24 JULY 2014

The EU Patent – Known Knowns And Known Unknowns

Abel & Imray

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What you need to know and do starting from now.

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Tim Hewson

Tom Burt

What you need to know and do starting from now.

The Patent system in Europe is changing. Not quite yet, but soon.

Starting from sometime between about2015 and about 2016 you will be facedwith new decisions when the EuropeanPatent Office grants your patents. Thosedecisions are therefore applicable to thepatent applications which you aredrafting and filing today.
Starting from sometime between about2015 and about 2016 you will be facedwith deciding whether you want all yourexisting European Patents to be subjectto the jurisdiction of a new, untested andpossibly expensive court system.
The only way to avoid the new UPCsystem in its entirety will be to filenational applications in EU memberstates. Staring from today, you shouldbe considering making national filingson your important cases which arecoming up to the 12 month Conventiondeadline or the 30 month PCT nationalphase deadline.

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