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Applying for UP
Applying for UP - countries, where the UP will have effect, are the twenty-four EU member states (except Spain, Croatia, and Poland).
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Which countries are involved in the UP/UPC system?
24 EU member states.

To begin with, the unitary patent will have effect within a total of twenty-four EU member states. Almost all EU member states, except Spain, Croatia, and Poland, participate in the unitary patent protection system.

The ‘Unified Patent Court’

The ‘Unified Patent Court’ (abbreviated as UPC), which will have exclusive jurisdiction over unitary patents and traditional (current and future) European patents, is an essential part of the ‘Unitary Patent System’. Further, before the EPO can issue the first unitary patent, the UPC needs to come into existence.

The start of the UPC

The UPC has been established by an international treaty: the ‘UPC Agreement’ (UPCA), dated 19 February 2013. Additionally, the UPCA will enter into force on the first day of the fourth month after the thirteenth European Union member state has ratified and deposited the ‘UPC Agreement’, including those of the three member states in which the highest number of European patents had effect in 2012, namely Germany, France, and Italy.

Unitary patent system
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Unitary patent
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Unified patent court (UPC)
Applying for UP | Countries that have already ratified the UPCA

France (compulsory)
Italy (compulsory)
Austria
Estonia
Malta
Sweden
Belgium
Finland
Latvia
Netherlands
Bulgaria
Lithuania
Portugal
Denmark
Luxembourg
Slovenia
Germany (compulsory)

Germany is the last country which needs to deposit its ratification of the UPCA, before the new court can start and unitary patents may be requested.
Applying for UP | Countries with expected ratification

Cyprus
Greece
Ireland
Slovakia
Czech Republic
Hungary
Romania

Countries not in the UP System:

UK
Switzerland
Norway
Albania
North Macedonia
Iceland
Liechtenstein
Monaco
San Marino
Serbia
Turkey

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