What is a patent, what is a European patent
Patents systems were devised to encourage innovation. While each country has its own patent laws, the same basic principles are applied throughout the world. A patent is a legal title granting the patent proprietor the exclusive right to prevent others from manufacturing, selling or using the patented invention in a specified country or group of countries.The European patent is an essential step towards the integration of the worldwide unified patent system. With one unique European patent application, drafted in only one official language (English, French or German) and filed in one filing office, the steps of the grant procedure (publication and examination of the application) can be unified. Once granted by the European patent office, the European patent becomes a bundle of national patents in accordance with the designations chosen by the Applicant at the filing date.