European Parliament clears way for single patent system

The European Parliament voted on Tuesday to adopt draft regulations creating a unitary European patent and establishing a language regime for patents. The regulations now have to be formally adopted by the EU Council and the European Parliament, which is expected "soon." A separate agreement to create the Unified Patent Court, which will have exclusive jurisdiction over actions related to the validity or infringement of a European patent, is expected to be signed on Feb. 18, 2013. The entire patent package will become effective once 13 EU member states, including France, Germany and the U.K., have ratified it. The single patent system, which is expected to take effect in 2014, will apply across 25 of the 27 EU member states. ...