How many countries are in the European Patent Convention?

38 member states
From 16 signatory states of the European Patent Convention in 1973, the Organisation has now grown to 38 member states, including all 27 EU member states plus countries such as Norway, Switzerland and Turkey.

How many states are in the EPC?

There are, as of April 2019, 38 Contracting States to the EPC, also called member states of the European Patent Organisation: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania.

Is Russia part of EPO?

Ukraine, Russia and Belarus are not part of the EPO, which was formed in 1973 to provide a single system for reviewing and granting European patents. It started with 16 countries and has grown to 38, including Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, which had previously been under Soviet rule.

Is Turkey part of the EPC?

The EPC is separate from the European Union (EU), and its membership is different; Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Turkey, Monaco, Iceland, Norway, North Macedonia, San Marino, Albania, Serbia, and the United Kingdom are members of the EPO but are not members of the EU.

Does the European Patent Convention apply to all countries?

The European Patent Convention currently does not lead to the grant of centrally enforceable patents in all 38 countries, although the European Union patent would allow for unitary effect: centrally enforceability throughout 24 of the 27 countries of the European Union.

What is in the 17th edition of the European Patent Convention?

The 17th edition of the European Patent Convention is available. It contains: the Administrative Council’s decision of 28 June 2001 on the transitional provisions under Article 7 of the Revision Act.

What is the European Patent Convention (EPC)?

The European Patent Convention is “a special agreement within the meaning of Article 19 of the Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, signed in Paris on 20 March 1883 and last revised on 14 July 1967, and a regional patent treaty within the meaning of Article 45, paragraph 1, of the Patent Cooperation Treaty of 19 June 1970.”.

What is a European Patent?

The term European patent is used to refer to patents granted under the European Patent Convention.