One year after the start of the unitary patent system in June 2023 (see EUROPE B13192A37), the European Patent Office (EPO) has already registered more than 27,000 unitary patents, the European Commission said on Friday 31 May.
On average, almost one in four European patents granted (23%) is applied for in the 17 participating EU Member States, and this rate is rising steadily.
Most patents relate to medical technology (31%), civil engineering (6%) and transport (5%). Companies filing...