Romania joins the Unitary Patent System and the Unified Patent Court

As of September 1, 2024, Romania has officially become the 18th member of the Unitary Patent (UP) system and the Unified Patent Court (UPC). From this date onwards, all Unitary Patents registered will automatically cover 18 countries, including Romania. However, Unitary Patents filed before this date will not be affected by this extension of coverage.

With Romania's accession, the member states of the UP and UPC system now include: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, and Sweden. This expansion provides coverage for an additional market of approximately 19 million people, highlighting the growing importance of the Unitary Patent for economic competitiveness and innovation in Europe.

Experts from Plasseraud IP are available to answer any questions regarding this development and to assist you with the options and requirements of Unitary Patents. Find out more on our Unified Patent Court (UPC) page.