What countries are covered by the European Patent Office?

The 26 member states of the European Union are currently members of the European Patent Organisation (EPO countries): Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland.

How many states are in the EPC?

38 member states
The EPO currently has 38 member states, comprising all the member states of the European Union together with Albania, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Serbia, Switzerland and Turkey.

How many countries are in the EPO?

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.

Is the European Patent Office part of the EU?

I. The European Patent Organisation is an international organisation established on the basis of the European Patent Convention (EPC). It is independent of the EU and currently has 38 member states, of which 28 are also members of the EU (incl. the UK) and 10 are not.

Who are the members of the European Patent Organisation?

The following states (sorted alphabetically) are currently members of the European Patent Organisation.

Is the European Patent Office the same as the USPTO?

The EUIPO is a separate agency from that of the European Patent Office (EPO) , which focuses on patents in European countries. Under certain conditions and on fulfilling certain requirements, an application for trademark or RCD filed with EUIPO may be entitled to the benefit of the filing date of a prior application filed in the United States.

When did Serbia join the European Patent Organisation?

The most recent member state to join the EPC entered was Serbia which did so on 1 October 2010. In addition, there are “extension states” which are not Contracting States to the EPC but have instead signed extension agreements under which the protection conferred by European patent applications and patents is extended to the relevant country.

Is the European Intellectual Property Office part of the EPO?

These intellectual property rights are valid across all member states of the EU, but are separate rights from the trademark and design rights issued by individual EU member states. The EUIPO is a separate agency from that of the European Patent Office (EPO)