Advantages of applying for a European patent application

Obtaining a European patent is one of the important strategies that many innovators consider. Compared with applying for invention patents in each country separately, applying for a European invention patent provides unique advantages, allowing patent rights to obtain intellectual property protection in a wider range of jurisdictions. Understanding these advantages can help companies optimize their intellectual property management strategies globally.

Single review, multiple locations covered

• Filing a patent at the European Patent Office (EPO), although more expensive, provides the opportunity to obtain patent rights in multiple jurisdictions and only requires examination in a single language. The official filing language of European patent applications is English, French or German, and only translation into other languages is required at the authorization stage. In comparison, applying in each European country individually is not only more expensive, but also requires multiple translations and examinations.

High-quality search services

• The search report issued by the EPO can be regarded as the highest quality search report in the world and is recognized by patent offices of many countries. Countries such as Italy, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg all rely on the EPO for searches. Even the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO), which has a large search database, entrusts the search task to the EPO to ensure that all relevant background technologies are discovered at an early stage, so that applicants can adjust their application strategies in a timely manner.

Delayed application process

• The review process for European patent applications can take up to 8-10 years. For patent applicants whose applications are uncertain or pose a threat to their competitors' strategies, this situation can put pressure on competitors to consider avoiding designs.

Divisional application opportunities

• The EPO allows divisional applications to be filed based on pending applications, which allows applicants to further adjust the scope of protection based on the original application and provides applicants with an opportunity to make strategic adjustments.

Comparison between direct application and national phase

• Entering the European national phase from the PCT is usually expensive, while the direct application route provided by the EPO only requires the payment of application and search fees in the initial period after the expiration of the priority period. Other fees can be paid after the search report is issued. This is more conducive to applicants making more accurate decisions after evaluating the probability of authorization.