Unitary Patent & Unified Patent Court
A better patent system for Europe
The Unitary Patent and the Unified Patent Court are the building blocks which supplement and strengthen the existing centralised European patent granting system. They offer users a cost-effective option for patent protection and dispute settlement across Europe.
Unitary Patent
Unitary Patents make it possible to get patent protection in 17 EU Member States by submitting a single request to the EPO, making the procedure simpler and more cost effective for applicants.
- Forms
- Online filing
- Unitary Patent Guide
- FAQ
- National measures relating to the Unitary Patent
- Select Committee documents
- Learn more about Unitary Patents
- Unitary Patent information in patent knowledge
When did it start?
The new system started on 1 June 2023.
Unified Patent Court
The Unified Patent Court (UPC) is an international court set up by participating EU Member States to deal with the infringement and validity of both Unitary Patents and European patents, putting an end to costly parallel litigation and enhancing legal certainty.
Materials & recordings
Access presentations and videos from previous events
Events & training
Register for forthcoming seminars and courses
Updates
- 5.6.2023
European Patent Office hosts special event celebrating launch of Unitary Patent system - 26.5.2023
Europe embarks on a new era of patent protection - 2.5.2023
Bundled information on the Unitary Patent - 7.3.2023
EPO and European Commission sign agreement on Unitary Patent - 17.2.2023
The Unitary Patent is to become a reality - 13.2.2023
First training for all UPC appointed judges - 19.12.2022
Unitary Patent: Forms for requesting transitional measures now available - 6.12.2022
Starting date of EPO transitional measures remains 1 January 2023 - 25.11.2022
Raising the curtain on the Unitary Patent system - 14.11.2022
EPO sets start of transitional measures to 1 January 2023 - 7.11.2022
The Unitary Patent system: A game-changer for innovation in Europe - 21.10.2022
UPC has decided on its judges - 28.9.2022
National measures relating to the Unitary Patent - 4.7.2022
EPO met UPC governing bodies’ representatives - 29.4.2022
Updated version of the Unitary Patent Guide available - 29.4.2022
Unitary Patent secondary legislation - 2.3.2022
UPC holds Administrative Committee meeting - 8.2.2022
Final preparations for the start of the Unitary Patent - 19.1.2022
Provisional application of the UPCA to start - 3.12.2021
Austria finalises parliamentary ratification procedure concerning the Protocol to the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court on provisional application - 13.7.2021
German Court decision paves the way for implementation of Unitary Patent and UPC