The Unitary Patent and the Unified Patent Court (UPC) are new building blocks that will supplement and strengthen the existing centralized European patent granting and enforcement system. In short, they will offer users of the patent system a more predictable, coherent and cost-effective option for patent protection and dispute resolution across Europe.

Unitary Patents will make it possible to get patent protection in up to 25 European Union member states by submitting a single request to the European Patent Office (EPO), making the procedure simpler and more cost effective for both new and existing applicants.