The EPO has made a statement on the effect Brexit will have upon European Patent Attorneys based in the UK, wishing to represent applicants before the EPO after the UK leaves the European Union
Benoît Battistelli, President of the European Patent Office, has stated unequivocally that Brexit will have no effect on UK membership of the European Patent Organisation and that European patent attorneys based in the UK will continue to be able to represent applicants before the EPO after the UK leaves the European Union.
The EPO published this statement on its website following a CIPA delegation to the EPO in Munich last week, led by President Stephen Jones. Also making up the delegation were Immediate Past President Tony Rollins, Honorary Secretary Chris Mercer, Past President Andrea Brewster, Tim Jackson, Chairman of CIPA's Patents Committee and Chief Executive Lee Davies.
President Battistelli said: "Meeting with CIPA gave us an opportunity to restate that Brexit will have no impact on UK membership of EPO. For a very simple reason - the EPO is not an EU agency but an independent international organisation, of which the UK is a founding member."
The CIPA team met President Battistelli and senior officers of the EPO on 25 January. Read the EPO report of the meeting here. They discussed progress made by the UK on the ratification of the Unified Patent Court Agreement, the likelihood of ratification in the coming months and developments in EPO practices.
The statement has been published on CIPA's website.
Article Published January 31st, 2018
