Patents Become Cheaper

6 February 2008

By Ben Evans

Gaining the protection of a patent looks set to become even cheaper in May this year.

Previously patent applications had to be translated into the language of every country in which they wanted the patent to have an effect, the costs of this were substantial.

But now such translations will not be required. Robert Weston the president of the Chartered Insitute of Patent Attorney's (CIPA) stated that: "Businesses here will no longer be put off by the high cost of getting patent protection throughout Europe," he went on: "When other member states of the European Patent Convention that have not ratified the London Agreement follow suit it will mean that a single application, made in just one language, will give patent protection in a market of over 300 million consumers."

"This will put Europe in a similar to the situation for patenting costs that American companies have enjoyed for decades,"

This new measure should reduce the costs associated with a patent application which will therefore encourage more small and medium sized business to protect their work in his way.

Ben Evans is an Intellectual Property Executive at Lawdit.