Unitary Patent

The proposal for a Unitary Patent and the threat it represents

The Unitary Patent is a proposal for a European regulation, which was first filed in April, 2011. Its aim is to unify patent titles and jurisdiction between interested member states, through a enhanced cooperation.

The idea behind the project is not problematic in itself. However, the way the project is currently organized is concerning for April: most of the resources would be given to the European Patent Office (EPO), whose drift in favor of sotfware patents have been long criticized by April.

• For more information, a complet website on the issue : https://www.unitary-patent.eu

What's the issue ?

• Threat of software patents coming to Europe in spite of the prohibition by the European Parliament in 2005
• Threat of patent trolls appearing in Europe (companies which file or buy patents with the only aim of getting royalty payments from other companies
• Threat of big legal actions on software patents, like the Apple/ Samsung case