EPO Advisory Board publishes recommendations for improving the patent system

The EPO’s Economic and Scientific Advisory Board (ESAB) has drawn up recommendations for improving the patent system, based on the main findings from the Board’s 2012 activities as set out in a statement. Along with this statement, the ESAB is also publishing the reports of three workshops conducted in 2012, on patent quality, the role of fees, and patent thickets.

In all these publications the Board highlights the importance of patent quality in boosting innovation. It points out that improving patent quality will require action at both the pre-and post-grant stages of the patenting process. In the pre-grant phase, specific measures are needed to address the speed and quality of patent examination. At the post grant stage, opposition or re-examination proceedings require improvement, together with the litigation system. On this latter point, the establishment of Europe’s Unified Patent Court is expected to make a major contribution.

Complete recomendation as well as links to the reports:

http://www.epo.org/news-issues/press/releases/archive/2013/20130313.html