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EU Patent – Is It Finally Set to Become a Reality?

October 14, 2011

From the early 1970s, the European Union (EU) has envisaged the development of a single EU patent system. Its efforts are based on a recognition that the system for obtaining an EU patent could be significantly less expensive than the present system and that a unified jurisdiction for litigating patent matters would reduce costs and improve certainty for those trying to assert their rights throughout Europe. It is an issue of concern for many sectors most notably the pharmaceutical and technology sectors and is an important element of the drive for increased innovation across the EU.

This article, contributed by Louise Butler and Carol Plunkett, was first published in the Irish Intellectual Property Law Quarterly 2011 – Issue 3.  To view the article in full, please click the attached pdf.