U.K. Ratifies Agreement for MuItistate European Patent Court (1)

摘要

The U.K. has ratified the Unified Patent Court Agreement, bringing the near EU-wide patent system a step closer to reality. The agreement would create a single patent right covering most of Europe, along with a new court to rule on disputes relating to the new patents. The U.K. Intellectual Property Office announced the ratification April 26. Currently, patents and courts in the EU only cover individual countries. The new system would likely be attractive to large multinational companies because it would be easier and cheaper for them to maintain patent protection throughout the EU.