Enhanced cooperation in unitary patent protection: the paperchase begins!

The Kats have got
a lot of reading ahead ...

From the admirable Steve Peers comes good news: the European Commission's proposals for the fate of the patent system in divided-we-stand, united-we-er-argue Europe are now available online and in English. Steve observes:

"Would you believe that, at the moment, the English-language versions can only be found if you check the French-language version of the DG Internal Market website? C'est magnifique!"

The main proposal is the 25-page proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council implementing enhanced cooperation in the area of the creation of unitary patent protection (here).


Then there's a proposal for a Council Regulation implementing enhanced cooperation in the area of the creation of unitary patent protection with regard to the applicable translation arrangements (14 pages, here)

The impact assessment, which has nothing to do with the effect of the whole thing falling on your head (here).  Someone must be expecting a big impact since this document is 50 pages in length.  If however you want less of an impact, you can read the summary of the impact assessment instead (just seven pages, here).

The Kats haven't had time to read this all yet, but expect than their keenest readers are already doing so.

Big Europatent, little news

Via a Tweet from laden ladenfam's friend Axel Horns comes news of an EU Council Decision which, as Axel puts it, is "inching towards enhanced co-operation in area of creation of unitary patent protection". It says

"1. On 16 December 2010, the Commission submitted to the Council a proposal for a Council Decision authorising enhanced cooperation in the area of the creation of unitary patent protection.

2. At the meeting of the Permanent Representatives Committee on 7 February 2011, all delegations (including the Commission) but two agreed on the text of the draft Council Decision to be transmitted to the European Parliament for its consent.

3. In the light of the above, the Council is invited to decide, as an "A" item of one of its forthcoming meetings, to transmit the text of the proposed Decision, as set out in 5538/11, to the European Parliament in order to obtain the latter's consent in accordance with Article 329(1) of TFEU, the Italian and Spanish delegations voting against".

You can read the document in full here.