After decades of negotiations, the European unitary patent was born. The final go-ahead, after the one arrived yesterday by the EU industry ministers, was given by the European Parliament meeting in plenary in Strasbourg. "We have been chasing the European patent for 40 years – commented the Commissioner for Internal Market and Financial Services, Michel Barnier with satisfaction – In a moment of crisis, in a moment of difficulty throughout Europe, this is good news and real progress, it is a real success story for competitiveness, growth and jobs".
Italy and Spain remain outside the European unitary patent, which have contested the trilingualism regime (English, French and German) considered "discriminatory" towards their companies.
And Rome and Madrid suffered a new setback this morning at the EU Court, whose advocate general asked to dismiss their appeals against the enhanced cooperation launched to proceed on the single patent, circumventing their objections.
December 12, 2012 – PharmaKronos
