Following a positive vote in the European Parliament on December 11, 2012, the European Council also approved the unitary patent package today.

It is expected that the participating Member States will sign the Unified Patent Court agreement in February next year. It will enter into force once it has been ratified by at least 13 Member States, including France, Germany and Great Britain. Under the most optimistic timeline, the first unitary patents will be granted in spring 2014.

Today’s press release of the European Council on the unitary patent can be downloaded at:

http://www.mueller-bore.de/tl_files/Decisions_EPO/134394.pdf