What is a European patent application?
Since the introduction of the European Patent Convention in 1978, it has been possible to apply for a patent in a number of European countries by means of a single procedure. The number of countries in which a patent may be applied for under the scheme currently stands at 34. The European Patent Convention regulates the applications and granting of European patents and this is implemented by the European Patent Office.This procedure takes an average of three to four years and results in a patent that is examined for content against the requirements of novelty, an inventive step and industrial application.
