The European patent is an intellectual property right that protects an invention across a large territory covering most countries in continental Europe. It can also be extended (“validated”) in certain countries outside Europe, such as Morocco, Hong Kong, and Cambodia.
To date, the European patent is in force in 39 member states and can be extended or validated in seven other territories, including Hong Kong.
Established by the European Patent Convention (EPC), signed in 1973, this system provides a harmonized legal framework that allows inventors to file a single patent application valid in several European countries. It dramatically simplifies the process and reduces the costs associated with multiple national filings.
Since 1977, European patent applications have been filed with the European Patent Office (EPO), which is responsible for conducting prior art searches and technical examinations to verify that the applications comply with the patentability criteria set by the EPC.
Once granted, the European patent must be validated in each state where the holder seeks protection.
Since June 1, 2023, an additional option for obtaining unitary effect has been available: grouped validation in 17 member states of the European Union, resulting in the grant of a unitary patent.