The Austrian Foreign Ministry has reported that on 7 August Austria deposited in Brussels its ratification instrument for the Agreement on the Unified Patent Court. Austria is, therefore, the first member state to ratify. The countdown begins!
Austria's Vice Chancellor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Michael Spindelegger sayd about the ratification: "The European Patent is a milestone for science and research in Europe. The numbers speak for themselves: in 2011, 224000 patents were granted in the USA and 172000 in China, but in Europe only 62000 European patents were granted. Up to now, high costs and difficult admission to the inner market created obstacles. Thanks to the agreement about the patent package for unitary patent protection, this will change in the near future. In this context I am proud that Austria takes the lead in the new EU-patent. As the first member state, Austria deposited its ratification instrument for the International Agreement on the Unified Patent Court in Brussels.
Following Austria, also the United Kingdom and France have bills pending to effect the ratification. That is good news, as for the entry into force of the "EU patent package" it is necessary that thirteen member states, including the United Kingdom, Germany, and France, ratify the international agreement. In Germany, the bill is postponed until after the September 22, 2013 federal election. Denmark and Ireland plan to conduct referenda.
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