The London Agreement States – Understanding the Basics
The London Agreement States is an international treaty amongst European Union countries and some non-EU countries that encourages cost savings in patent validation. It was signed on October 17, 2000, in London, by fifteen participating countries. The agreement was entered into force on May 1, 2008, and currently has twenty-three member countries.
The main objective of the London Agreement States is to reduce the translation costs associated with validating European patents in different countries. Before the agreement was signed, after a patent was granted by the European Patent Office (EPO), it had to be validated in all the countries in which the patent holder wants to protect the invention. This validation was a time-consuming and costly process, especially for smaller businesses.
The London Agreement States addressed this problem by allowing patent holders to choose the language of their patent claims. That means that an English language patent can be enforced in any country that’s a signatory to the agreement, without the need for translation. This significantly reduces translation costs, simplifies the validation process, and saves time.
The London Agreement States also created a new system for validating European patents. This system, called the Unitary Patent, provides patent holders with a single patent covering multiple countries, which reduces costs and simplifies the enforcement process.
However, not all European countries have signed up for the London Agreement States. Countries such as Spain, Croatia, and Poland have not yet joined the agreement due to concerns about the potential loss of their national languages. This means that for patents filed in these countries, the translation process is still required.
In conclusion, the London Agreement States is a significant development in the world of patent law. It has simplified and reduced the costs of patent validation, while the Unitary Patent system has made it easier to enforce patents in multiple countries. Although not all European countries have signed up yet, there is hope that more countries will join in the future, leading to further standardization and cost savings for patent holders.
