From 1 September 2024 Romania will become the 18th country to participate in the UPC following ratification of the UPC Agreement. This means that any Unitary Patents registered on or after this date will also cover Romania (second Unitary Patent generation).
The EPO has announced that as of 5 June 2024, a request for delay of the registration for a Unitary Patent can be made so that registration takes place on or after 1 September 2024. This will ensure that Romania is included in Unitary Patent coverage.
Other countries which could join the UPC in the future are Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Ireland and Slovakia. These countries have signed the UPC Agreement but have not completed ratification yet. Ireland is required to hold a referendum before it can complete ratification.
If delaying registration of unitary effect is of interest following the grant of your European Patent, in order to benefit from the territorial scope of the second Unitary Patent generation covering Romania, please speak to your usual attorney.
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