02/09/2024
Over the weekend, on 1 September 2024, Romania joined the Unitary Patent system. This follows their ratification of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) Agreement earlier this year, as we previously reported here.
Unitary Patents will now give even more bang for their buck, covering Romania as well as the previous 17 participating countries*. Unitary Patents, therefore, now cover an additional 19 million people and $370b of nominal GDP – at no extra cost!
It is important to note, however, that only Unitary Patents for which unitary effect is registered from 1 September 2024 onwards will cover Romania. Pre-existing Unitary Patents will not have their scope extended, and will still only cover the original 17 participating countries. It will be important going forward to consider the date at which a Unitary Patent is registered when considering questions such as infringement and freedom to operate in Romania.
With Romania joining the UPC so quickly after its launch, it will be interesting to see whether other countries that signed but are yet to ratify the UPC Agreement, such as Greece and Ireland, will follow suit.
*The initial 17 participating countries covered by a Unitary Patent are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden.
This article is for general information only. Its content is not a statement of the law on any subject and does not constitute advice. Please contact Reddie & Grose LLP for advice before taking any action in reliance on it.
