The European Patent Office has released a "Unitary Patent dashboard" offering "a timely snapshot of applicants' eagerness to opt for the Unitary Patent".
Live figures show that as of today, 1 August 2023, there have been 5665 requests for unitary effect, with the most popular technologies being Infrastructure & Mechanics (20.8%), Health (19.2%) and Materials & Production (19.2%). Therefore the new system seems to be an appealing one for applicants seeking to benefit from greater country coverage (17 participating states so far) and to enjoy the reduction in overhead costs and administration afforded by the new regime. As shown in the graph below, the rate of requests for unitary effect is accelerating - 2839 requests were made in July 2023 alone, compared to 1981 in June 2023.
The majority (70.6%) of applicable patents were published in English, which is in line with European Patents more generally. Revocation proceedings brought in the Unified Patent Court on these patents will be heard in English by default. Germany is the origin of the largest share of proprietors (1109), with the United States second (812).
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