Single European Patent?

The European Commission expresses again its demand for the creation of a single European patent. It said the absence of such a protection is hindering the growth of technology companies in the European Union.

The Commission has published a strategy aimed at increasing the benefit to be gained in the EU from technology research and development. It announced an increase in research funding for technology research of over 50% between 2010 and 2013.

"The framework conditions for regulation, standardisation and intellectual property right (IPR) regimes need to be adapted to new realities," said its proposal to the European Parliament and Council. "Standardisation structures and processes must become more agile and reactive, and with a clearer distinction between missions requiring public intervention and those more related to market dynamics."

Internal Markets Commissioner Charlie McCreevy has previously proposed uniting elements of the EPO with its own proposals for cross-border patents to create a new EU-wide patents system, but has faced political opposition over the plans.

Link to the strategy proposed by the European Commission:  

http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/tl/research/documents/ict-rdi-strategy.pdf

Source of information: www.out-law.com