Unitary Patent Package FAQs
What is the Unitary Patent (UP)?
The “European Patent with unitary effect”, or “Unitary Patent” for short, is a single patent which will cover all participating member states of the European Union. Unitary Patents will be obtained using the existing European patent application procedure and will be enforceable throughout the participating member states in a single action brought before the new Unified Patent Court.
What is the Unified Patent Court (UPC)?
The Unified Patent Court (UPC) is a single court system in which patent matters will be heard for all participating member states. The UPC will have exclusive jurisdiction over Unitary Patents and, ultimately, over traditional European patents in participating countries.
When will the UPC come into force?
The Unitary Patent and Unified Patent Court regime will take effect on 1 June 2023.
Requests for unitary effect can already be made, and European patents may be opted out of the Unified Patent Court jurisdiction under transitional arrangements (until the system enters into force on 1 June).
Which countries will be covered by the UP?
The first UPs will likely be registered on 7 June 2023 and will cover the following 17 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden.
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Romania and Slovakia are expected to join in the next few years.
Poland and Spain will not be part of the Unitary Patent system for the time being, and Croatia was not an EU member state at the time the UP regulation was signed.
Have the 17 initial adopters agreed to a set number of years during which they are not permitted to withdraw from UP/UPC?
No.
The intention is to build a long-standing framework for Europe. Withdrawal, whilst technically possible, is not being actively discussed.
Can I choose validations in UP states?
Yes.
You still have the choice between filing national applications through the national offices, classic European patent validations which are brought into force on a country-by-country basis and the Unitary Patent as a single right covering all participating member states.
What are the consequences of Brexit on the UP/UPC?
The UK’s ratification of the UPC Agreement was withdrawn following Brexit, meaning that the Unitary Patent will not cover the UK. The new location for the branch of the Central Division, which was originally going to be located in London, may be in Milan, but this is yet to be confirmed.
W&R are a European firm and can fully represent you in all UP and UPC matters, as well as possible parallel UK proceedings.
The departure of the UK from the EU does not impact the ability of our UK, French and German attorneys to obtain European patents, obtain Unitary Patents or to litigate in the UPC.
Could the UK potentially "re-join" the UP/UPC system in the future?
It is theoretically possible that the UK could join, and there is no specific prohibition on this happening, but it is unlikely for the time being.
What is the cost of the UP? Is it more cost effective if you typically validate only in a few countries?
As with traditional validations, the Unitary Patent costs include attorney service charges, costs for translating the granted patent at the time of filing the request for unitary effect and annuities.
Unitary Patent annuities have been set at a level equivalent to the combined renewal fees of the top four countries among the participating member states at the time the fee level was adopted (at that time the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands). The total fees for the first ten years amount to less than €5,000.
The Unitary Patent translation cost should be compared with classic validation costs, often requiring additional service and translation costs, depending on your targeted jurisdictions.
Factoring in the above costs, if you intend to target 4 or more jurisdictions, among the 17 initial member states, then the Unitary Patent will be less expensive than regular validations.
Does the assessment of the balance of four apply if some of the four countries are not covered by the UP (e.g. the UK)?
No.
The rule of thumb for 4 jurisdictions applies to jurisdictions within the system. UK, Spain, Turkey or Norway, for example, should be considered separately and will incur the same costs regardless of whether you seek unitary effect or national validations for the UP member states.
What are the designation fees for Unitary Patents?
Since 2009, European patent designations are covered via a single designation fee due within 6 months of the publication of the search report. The Unitary Patent introduction is a post-grant procedure and has no effect on this rule: no additional designation fee or administrative fee is required at the time of filing the request for unitary effect.
Will I need to file a translation with my request for unitary effect?
Yes.
Initially, and for at least 6 years, applicants will be required to file the following translation with their request for unitary effect:
- a full translation of the application into English if proceedings before the EPO were in French or German, or
- a full translation of the application into “any other official language of the Union” if proceedings were in English.
The aim is to eventually meet the translation requirements using machine translations generated by the EPO.
Where and within what time frame does the translation need to be submitted?
The translation for the Unitary Patent must be submitted at the EPO within one month following the decision to grant, together with the request for unitary effect.
Although this is a short deadline, keep in mind that the decision to grant comes after the applicant has approved the text intended to grant (following a R71(3) EPC communication). If we receive your instructions regarding unitary effect at this time, there should be sufficient time to prepare the translation.
Would a Spanish translation be acceptable given that Spain will be outside the system?
Yes.
If the patent is granted in English, any EU language would be accepted. This can provide opportunities to streamline costs by making use of existing translations of the patent. For instance, if a Spanish language translation must be prepared for use in a separate Spanish validation this could also be used to fulfil this requirement, or if a Spanish language version of the application exists because there is, for instance, a corresponding Mexican application, that could also be updated and used as the Unitary Patent translation.
Can we extend the one-month deadline from the European patent grant for filing a unitary request?
No.
The only remedy for not meeting the one-month deadline is a restitutio in integrum i.e., a painful restoration process, which cannot be guaranteed as we would need to show that the deadline was missed through error despite all due care being taken to meet the deadline.
Is the opt-out filed at the UPC registry, and is it possible to opt out large numbers of patents?
Yes.
An opt-out is applied for at the UPC registry, and it is possible to opt out large numbers of patents.
The EPO handles UP related tasks at the end of the European patent grant procedure. The UPC handles opt-out requests.
For further information please speak to your usual contact at Withers & Rogers or email Russell Barton:
This publication is a general summary of the law. It should not replace legal advice tailored to your specific circumstances.
