Patent office reports progress on increased European alignment

Common practices meant to ease burden on patent offices and companies, says office head

The European Patent Office and its member states have agreed on common practices intended to ease the burden on inventors applying for patents, the EPO has announced.

In December, the EPO’s administrative council approved common practices for the examination of the ‘unity of an invention’—whether multiple inventions fall under one patent—and how an ‘inventor’ is designated, the EPO announced on 12 February.