Brexit to have no effect on UKs dealings with the EPO

Brexit will have no consequence on the UK in connection with the European Patent Office (EPO), either for applicants or for Patent Attorneys in the UK, as confirmed by the EPO.

In its notice dated 25 January 2018, the European Patent Office confirmed that “Brexit will have no consequence on UK membership of the European Patent Organisation, nor on the effect of European patents in the UK. Accordingly, European patent attorneys based in the UK will continue to be able to represent applicants before the EPO”.

The notice reports on a meeting between the EPO’s president and a delegation from the UK’s Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys. Various matters were discussed including UPC ratification and upcoming changes in EPO fees.

‘Meeting with CIPA gave us an opportunity to restate that Brexit will have no impact on UK membership of the EPO. For a very simple reason - the EPO is not an EU agency but an independent international organisation, of which the UK is a founding member', said President Battistelli.

UK Patent Attorneys remain uniquely positioned as far as the EPO is concerned because of the very strong UK patent system and Courts, which have been granted a pivotal role in the UPC.