Study suggests low demand for patent grace period

European Patent Office study finds grace period would help universities, but present need seems low

Only about 6 per cent of applications for European patents would benefit from a grace period enabling innovators to make details of their work openly available earlier, a new study has suggested.

No such grace period exists for European patent applications at present, with applicants instead being required to demonstrate the novelty of their work. However, the issue has been much discussed, as grace periods provide applicants with greater flexibility while increasing the legal uncertainty for other actors throughout their duration.