Italy, Spain could drop opposition to EU patent

An agreement on the vital elements of the Community Patent package was substantially advanced by the Polish EU Presidency and announced on the 5 December 2011. This may have the result of reducing the cost of obtaining the protection of inventions in the EU by as much as 80%

Out of the whole patent package the only remaining issue to be decided is the seat of the central division of the Unitary Patent Court UPC (Court of the First Instance).

If remaining issues can be resolved by EU Member States before the end of 2011, the European Parliament would be expected to vote on the two draft regulations for the creation of unitary patent protection and the applicable translation arrangements early in 2012.

• Primary Source

Poland: EU Presidency: Press Release, 5.12.11: Agreement on substantial issues of EU patent http://pl2011.eu/en/content/agreement-substantial-issues-eu-patent

Council of the European Union: Press Release, PRES/11/475: Competitiveness (Internal Market, Industry, Research and Space), Brussels, 5-6.12.11 http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/intm/126579.pdf

Council of the European Union: Poland: EU Presidency: Draft Agreement on the creation of a Unified Patent Court - Guidance for future work, November 2011 (17539/11) (via Council Register of Documents) http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/11/st17/st17539.en11.pdf

EUObserver, 6.12.11: Member states squabble over seat of EU patent tribunal http://euobserver.com/19/114513

ESO: Background information: Patents http://www.europeansources.info/record/website-patents/

ESO: Background information: Deal brings new EU patents system closer http://www.europeansources.info/record/deal-brings-new-eu-patents-system-closer/

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