On 14, 10, 2026, the Select Committee of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation held its 36 meeting. According to the European Patent Office operational report, since the Unitary Patent system was launched in 6, 2023, approximately 10.8 ten thousand requests for unitary effect have been received, with an average processing time of less than 10 days; the adoption rate among patent proprietors within the EU is close to 44%, and nearly two-thirds of European SMEs seeking patent protection choose the Unitary Patent; the global adoption rate has risen to approximately 31%, higher than 28.7% in 2025 and 25.6% in 2024.
On 14, 10, 2026, the Select Committee of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation held its 36 meeting to review the latest progress of the Unitary Patent system. According to the operational report of the European Patent Office (EPO), since the system was launched in 6, 2023, approximately 10.8 ten thousand requests for unitary effect (that is, requests to register their European patent as a Unitary Patent) have been received, with an average processing time of less than 10 days and high user satisfaction.
A Unitary Patent means that after a European patent is granted, the proprietor need only submit one request for unitary effect to obtain uniform protection in 18 participating member states, without having to validate the patent country by country. The Select Committee noted that the adoption rate among patent proprietors within the EU is approaching 44%; among European SMEs seeking patent protection, nearly two-thirds choose the Unitary Patent.
Demand from outside Europe has risen markedly since last year, and the global adoption rate has so far risen to approximately 31%, higher than 28.7% in 2025 and 25.6% in 2024.
The Committee called for broader participation in order to unlock the full benefits of the system for the EU internal market. On financial matters, the Committee issued a positive opinion on the 2026 Unitary Patent protection income and expenditure statement and the draft 2027 budget, and took note of the longer-term financial forecasts of the participating member states.
The European Commission stated that its first report on the operation of the Unitary Patent system is expected to be published before the end of 2026, and that the European Patent Office has provided support for that report.
The meeting also noted the continued growth in the caseload of the Court of First Instance and the Court of Appeal of the Unified Patent Court (UPC), and welcomed the recent entry into operation of the Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre (PMAC) established by that court. ——————————————————————————————————————————————————— Source: European Patent Office (EPO), "Select Committee commends strong Unitary Patent uptake and SME engagement", 14, 10, 2026.
Note: This article is compiled from public information and is for informational reference only; it does not constitute legal or other professional advice. For specific conclusions, please refer to official publications and the actual circumstances of individual cases.
Prepared by Liangma Legalmark Trademark Team from public industry information for general information only. It is not legal advice on a specific matter. Editorial standards ↗
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