What is the EPC (European Patent Convention)?
EPC stands for European Patent Convention. This convention has given rise to what is called the European Patent Office (EPO). The European Patent Office offers a way to file a single patent application which can lead to patent coverage in all the European countries that belong to the EPC. While the European Patent Office has its historical origins in the European Union, it is interesting to note that the European Patent Office formalities can lead to patent coverage in countries that do not belong to the European Union. For example, Switzerland does not presently belong to the European Union, and yet it is possible to secure Swiss patent protection through the European Patent Convention and the European Patent Office. The countries that belong to the European Patent Office include Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Spain, France, United Kingdom, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Portugal, and Sweden. For an inventor, the main decision
