Effective 1 September 2024, Romania will be part of the Unitary Patent (UP) system. From that date, all European patents with unitary effect will automatically cover Romania. This expansion will not only increase the number of participating EU Member States to 18, but also add a market of some 19 million people to the area of 330 million people already covered by the UP system.
 
“The accession of Romania clearly demonstrates the relevance of the Unitary Patent system for all EU Member States looking to participate in the internal technology market and advance European economic integration,” said EPO President António Campinos. “For innovative businesses, the step paves the way to even more cost-effective and uniform patent protection across Europe. It also offers attractive opportunities for Romanian inventors, particularly SMEs, to grow economically in a dynamic region.”
 
Since the Unitary Patent entered into force on 1 June 2023, the EPO has received over 34 000 requests for unitary effect and registered 33 000 Unitary Patents. The new patent has seen high demand from European companies: In the first half of this year, 63% of all requests for unitary effect originated from the 39 EPO member states, with over 32% filed by small businesses and individual inventors. For classic European patents filed in 2023, the corresponding figures were 43% and 23% respectively, according to the Patent Index. So far this year, almost one in four European patents granted has been converted into a Unitary Patent. Romania’s accession renders the UP system even more attractive: Over 1 000 users expressed their interest in extending the scope of protection of their Unitary Patents to Romania by requesting a delay in registration until after 1 September. 
 
Made up of two pillars – the Unitary Patent and the Unified Patent Court (UPC) – the Unitary Patent system offers lower costs, a streamlined procedure, uniform protection and greater legal certainty across participating EU Member States. Inventors can apply for and maintain patent protection at the EPO, which acts as a one-stop shop for patent owners, including when it comes to paying the attractive renewal fees and registering subsequent transactions (such as the granting of licences).  
 
All these benefits make the Unitary Patent an attractive option, especially for SMEs. Furthermore, the UPC has jurisdiction over Unitary Patents and classic European patents. This enables a harmonised and centralised procedure that removes the need for costly parallel court proceedings before numerous national courts.