One patent, several savings...

Lorenzo Litta

We have already spoken quite deeply in this weblog about the European Patent Convention 2000. Recently, our brilliant colleague, Olga Capasso, focused the italian patents' landscape at the beginning of 2008. Now it would be interesting to remember that the European Patent Office informed last week that the waiting for the "London Agreement" will finish soon, in particular next May, 1.

The London Agreement is due to come into force in a matter of months after France deposited the instrument of ratification with the German Ministry of Justice on 29 January.

The agreement, which will enter into force on 1 May - the first day of the fourth month following the deposit of the instrument - will make patenting in Europe cheaper by reducing post-grant translation costs.

Under the agreement, which was adopted on 17 October 2000, key EPC contracting states agreed to largely or entirely waive the requirement for translations of granted European patents in their national language.

Countries, such as France, Germany or the United Kingdom, whose national language is also an official EPO language will dispense with translation requirements.

This change is expected to benefit small and medium-sized enterprises in particular.

For further information on London Agreement, please click here.