Press release
29 June 2012
Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Justice
Final agreement on unitary patent protection
Agreement was reached today at the European Council on the final outstanding issue in the negotiations on unitary patent protection, i.e. where the seat of the Central Division of the Court of First Instance of the Unified Patent Court will be situated.
The solution to the issue, which has been deadlocked since December, is that the seat of the Central Division will be in Paris, while some parts of it will be located in London and Munich.
"This agreement is great news. It means that the Council has now agreed all parts of the negotiation package and that years of hard work have been fruitful," says Minister for Trade Ewa Björling. However, the Minister for Trade adds that everyone had to make concessions to reach this compromise, but that the agreement provides a solid basis for a competitive European patent system.
"An improved patent system is important for Swedish innovators, particularly for small and medium-sized companies," says Minister for Justice Beatrice Ask. The agreement involves substantial improvements compared with the current system since it is simpler, less costly and more uniform.
It is hoped that the new system will be up and running in spring 2014.
Contact
Monica Enqvist (fd Ohlsson)Press Secretary to Ewa Björling
+46 8 405 37 11
+46 70 296 18 99
email to Monica Enqvist (fd Ohlsson)
