"[...] Efforts to break the logjam over a so-called 'community patent' - a single intellectual property right which would give a holder protection in all 27 EU countries - have gathered pace in recent months and are being pursued by the current Slovenian presidency. [...] The last effort to launch a community patent had to be abandoned in 2003, because countries were unable to agree on a language regime for the new IP right. But under proposals being hammered out in Brussels, officials hope to offer countries the option of machine-based translation, which could convert a patent into all 23 official EU languages for minimal cost in a matter of minutes. Officials say that this would cost only a few million euros to set up, and allow equal

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Today, the German Ministry of Justice has confirmed that the French Instrument of Ratification for the London Agreement has reached the premises of the German Foreign Office yesterday, 2008-01-29, in the evening hours. Hence, the London Agreement will enter into force on

The London Agreement will be effective for all European patents in respect of which the mention of grant was published in the European Patent Bulletin after May 01, 2008, to the extent of the present geographical coverage of the Agreement. See also the related statement on the Official website of the EPO.

The text of the London Agreement is available &

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