Editing Unitary patent (section)

===European patents===
{{Main|European Patent Convention}}

European patents are granted in accordance with the provisions of the European Patent Convention (EPC),<ref>{{EPC Article|2|1}}</ref> via a [[Grant procedure before the European Patent Office|unified procedure]] before the [[European Patent Office]] (EPO). While upon filing of a European patent application, all 39 Contracting States are automatically designated, a European patent becomes a bundle of "national" European patents upon grant. In contrast to the unified character of a European patent application, a granted European patent has, in effect, no unitary character, except for the centralized [[Opposition procedure before the European Patent Office|opposition procedure]] (which can be initiated within 9 months from grant, by somebody else than the patent proprietor), and the centralized [[Limitation and revocation procedures before the European Patent Office|limitation and revocation]] procedures (which can only be instituted by the patent proprietor).<ref>In addition to the opposition, limitation and revocation procedures, particular acts can still be performed before the EPO after grant, such as requesting a rectification of an incorrect designation of inventor under {{EPC Rule|21|1}}. "Rectification may [indeed] also be requested after the proceedings before the EPO are terminated." ({{EPO Guidelines|a|iii|5|6}}).</ref> In other words, a European patent in one Contracting State, i.e. a "national" European patent,{{refn|There is no consistent usage of a particular expression to refer to "the European patent in a particular designated Contracting State for which it is granted". The article uses the expression "a "national" European patent"|group=notes}} is effectively independent of the same European patent in each other Contracting State, except for the opposition, limitation and revocation procedures. The [[Enforcement of European patents|enforcement of a European patent]] is dealt with by national law.<ref>{{EPC Article|64|3}}</ref> The abandonment, revocation or limitation of the European patent in one state does not affect the European patent in other states.

While the EPC already provided the possibility for a group of member states to allow European patents to have a unitary character also after grant, until now, only Liechtenstein and Switzerland have opted to create a unified protection area (see [[Unitary patent (Switzerland and Liechtenstein)]]).<ref name="Swisstreaty">[http://archive.epo.org/epo/pubs/oj1980/p393_440.pdf Treaty between the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Liechtenstein on Patent Protection (Patent Treaty) of 22 December 1978] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140328011211/http://archive.epo.org/epo/pubs/oj1980/p393_440.pdf |date=28 March 2014 }}, [[OJ EPO]] 1980, 407, or {{in lang|de}} [http://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified-compilation/19780344/index.html Vertrag zwischen der Schweizerischen Eidgenossenschaft und dem Fürstentum Liechtenstein über den Schutz der Erfindungspatente] Die Bundesbehörden der Schweizerischen Eidgenossenschaft.</ref>

By requesting unitary effect within one month of grant, the patent proprietor is now able to obtain uniform protection in the participating members states of the European Union in a single step, considerably simplifying obtaining patent protection in a large part of the EU. The unitary patent system co-exists with national patent systems and European patent without unitary effects. The unitary patent does not cover EPC countries that are not member of the European Union, such as UK or Turkey.