EPO expects unitary patent ratification despite ‘Brexit’

The European Patent Office (EPO) has said that it expects a solution will be found to allow the implementation of the unitary patent despite the referendum result.

In a  statement today, June 24, EPO president Benoît Battistell i said he “expects that the UK and the participating EU member states will find a solution as soon as possible which will allow a full implementation of these so-long awaited achievements”.

Battistelli added that the outcome of the referendum would have no consequence on the membership of the UK to the European Patent Organisation or on the effect of the European patents in the UK.

In order to be implemented the unitary patent and concurrent Unified Patent Court need to be ratified by France, Germany and the UK—the three countries that had the highest number of European patents validated when the agreement was reached in 2012.

Both the Netherlands and Italy have been tipped to replace the UK should the unitary patent and UPC system proceed without it.