Meeting in Rome for unitary patent

10 september 2015: Meeting in Rome, EPO President Benoît Battistelli and Italy's Under Secretary of State to the Ministry of Economic Development, Simona Vicari, discussed the role of patents in supporting innovation and the upcoming introduction of a European patent with unitary effect for the EU member states. After clarification of important legal questions on the unitary patent by the Court of Justice of the EU Italy has initiated the process to participate in the new patent scheme which is expected to become operational in 2016.

"Italy's recent decision to join the unitary patent is very good news for Europe," said Mr Battistelli. "For innovators patenting their inventions here, the addition of this important and large market to the new patent scheme will reinforce the attractiveness of the European market. For Italian companies and inventors, the unitary patent will mean cost and time savings of the magnitude of 80%. It is especially designed to benefit SMEs."