Ways to apply for a patent in European countries

The way for European countries to apply for patents, under the influence and promotion of economic globalization, China has paid unprecedented attention to intellectual property strategy, and the awareness of independent innovation and patent protection has been significantly enhanced, and patent activities have shown an increasingly international trend. Next, Bian Xiao will explain how to apply for a patent in European countries. A way to apply for a patent in a European country: apply for a patent directly to the country where patent protection is required. This way is the only feasible way before EPO was established. At present, it is attractive only when the number of countries requesting patent protection is extremely limited. Its advantage is that patents can be obtained quickly in countries that do not review patent applications, but the effectiveness of patents is unstable. The second way for European countries to apply for a patent: directly file a patent application with EPO: when a patent seeks protection from three or more EPO member countries, this way is simpler and cheaper than the former. However, its scope of application is still limited. Once the applicant needs to seek patent protection in a country other than EPO, this method is not appropriate. As China is a member of the Paris Convention and the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), in fact, at present, domestic applicants mainly apply for patents from European countries in the following two ways. The third mode of patent application in European countries: Paris Convention mode: after filing a patent application in China, the applicant can enjoy the priority treatment of 12 months from the filing date (from the priority date if there is priority) before the expiration of 12 months. Route 4: PCT route: The applicant can file a PCT international application in China National Intellectual Property Administration, China within 12 months from the date of application (priority date for those with priority), designate a PCT member country including the European Patent Office to apply for a patent, and enter the EPO procedure within 3 1 month from the date of application (priority date for those with priority).