March 2009
European patent applicants will soon be able to protect their inventions in Montenegro.
Under a recent agreement between the EPO and the Government of Montenegro, the number of countries for which protection can be sought through a single European patent application will rise to 39, when the agreement enters into force, later in 2009.
Alison Brimelow, EPO President, said ‘this provides companies and individual inventors with a simple and cost-effective way of obtaining patent protection across Europe, which in turn encourages technology transfer and investment’.
A European patent can now provide protection in a total of 38 countries – a market of about 570 million people.