European Patents – Business as usual at Hindles despite possible Brexit

Amidst all the uncertainty and news headlines about Brexit and whether or not the UK will leave the European Union (EU) on 31 October 2019, and, if so, what type of Brexit it may be, it can be easy to lose sight of the facts.

The reality is: even if Brexit occurs, and even if it is a so-called “no-deal Brexit” or “hard Brexit”, our clients’ patents and patent applications, and the way we handle them, will not be affected. We are UK and European patent attorneys. As European patent attorneys we handle European patent applications according to the law specified in the European Patent Convention (EPC). The EPC is separate to EU law. Membership of the EU is not required to be part of the European patent system, and indeed there are several non-EU countries which are contracting states of the EPC. We shall remain European patent attorneys, and able to handle European patent applications, regardless of the UK’s membership of the EU. European patents will still be able to be brought into force in the UK, regardless of whether or not the UK is in the EU.

In you have any questions about this or any other IP matter please contact us.