The EPO Published a Unitary Patent Guide
On 2 May 2022, the EPO published an updated Unitary Patent Guide.
The Guide outlines the procedures for obtaining a Unitary Patent once the EPO has granted the respective European patent and at the point when the Applicant is to secure national stage rights.
The Guide also provides an overview of the Unitary Patent system and discusses core procedures such as how file the needed request for unitary protection and how to pay renewal fees for Unitary Patents.
The Guide can be downloaded from the EPO website at ( EPO - Updated version of the Unitary Patent Guide available) - under the EPO note that "The Unitary Patent and the Unified Patent Court are the building blocks of the Unitary Patent system which will supplement and strengthen the existing centralised European patent granting system. They will offer users a cost-effective and procedurally attractive option for broad patent protection and dispute settlement across Europe. The Unitary Patent system is expected to become operational still in the second half of 2022."
