Summit puts end to EU patent turf war

EU leaders have forged a compromise that will end a long-running dispute over a common European patent, clearing the way for easier and less costly way of registering products. National leaders ended their two-day summit on Friday (29 June) by agreeing to divide the functions of the European patent court between the three countries eager to host it – France, Germany and Britain. The location of the patent court was the last outstanding issue in a long-fought effort. 

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The main seat - the Central Division of the Court of First Instance of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) - will be in Paris. The first president of the court would come from France, as the member country hosting the central division. Given the highly specialised nature of patent litigation, two sections will be established - one in London and the other in Munich, the Danish prime minister said. (...) On 11 March 2011, ministers from 25 member states decided to go ahead with plans to introduce a common system for registering patents, without Spain and Italy, using the so-called 'enhanced co-operation' mechanism. The mechanism allows a group of at least nine EU countries to adopt new common rules among themselves, in areas where an EU-wide agreement cannot be reached. Internal Market and Services Commissioner Michel Barnier welcomed the Council decision, saying the compromise reached is a decisive step towards the creation of a unitary patent and a common patent court in Europe. “The reform will create a simpler application process and considerably reduce the costs for obtaining patent protection,” Barnier said in a statement. “All future unitary patents will eventually be available in all official EU languages, thus ensuring the dissemination of knowledge and benefiting inventors. I hope that Spain and Italy will also join the new regime soon.” He said Europe is falling behind the United States and China in the number of patents issued. French President François Hollande told a news conference there were no winners or losers. "What took place was a compromise, and it was because France and Germany were united, all through the night, that we achieved this compromise," Hollande said. The European Parliament is expected to vote on the proposal on 4 July. This would open the way toward having the first unitary patent will be registered in 2014. Euractive.com