Düsseldorf, July 31, 2023 – Following the recent launch of the unitary patent system, the European Patent Office (EPO) is already seeing a strong response to the new unitary patent. According to its dashboard published on July 24, 2023, the EPO has received an average of 670 applications per week since the system was introduced on June 1, 2023. The dashboard is updated daily and records the source country of the patent holders, the status and development of applications, the language the patents were published in and translated into, and the technology sectors they are classified as.
The new system is proving particularly attractive for German applicants: With over 1,000 applications (as of July 28, 2023), the Federal Republic of Germany was the country accounting for by far the most applications received by the EPO. “This extensive use of the system also underlines the innovative spirit of many companies here in Germany,” says Gottfried Schüll, patent attorney and partner at Cohausz & Florack (C&F).
The unitary patent offers companies and inventors in currently 17 participating EU states uniform and comparatively inexpensive protection for their innovations. Internal data is fed into the EPO dashboard daily to provide a transparent look at the global development and appeal of this new patent system.
Picture credits: bluedesign_AdobeStock.com
