Validation of European patent

Validation is the process by which a state formally recognizes the effect of a regional patent in its territory by publishing a translation of the patent into the national language. The European Patent Convention (EPC) provides for a validation procedure that enables a European patent to be extended to the territories of the member states of the Convention.

The EPC currently includes 39 member states, as well as several countries where the European patent is valid under specific agreements with the European Patent Office (EPO), such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Morocco, Moldova, Tunisia, and Cambodia.

One of the key advantages of obtaining a European patent is that only a single application needs to be filed with the European Patent Office. It is important to note that a regional patent is effective in countries that are EPC members or have signed a cooperation agreement with the EPO.

A European patent is automatically valid in the territories of Germany, Belgium, France, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Switzerland, Ireland and the United Kingdom. To ensure the patent becomes effective in other EPC member states, it must be validated within three months from the date the grant is published in the official bulletin.

To validate a European patent in the EPC countries of interest, a translation of the granted patent must be submitted in the national language of each country where legal protection is sought.

The cost of validating a European patent depends on the official fees, the expenses associated with translating the granted patent into the respective national languages, and the service fees of local patent attorneys.

If you have any additional questions regarding the cost of patenting and validation of a patent or the procedure for obtaining a patent in Europe, you can contact our head office or our company's office in the European Union.