The future of the EPO Validation States

The significance of the difference between EPO member and validation states.

When the European Patent Office (EPO) grants a patent, inventors have a decision to make, which countries to follow through, getting regional language translations and paying regional fees for, and which to let lapse. However, the list for considerations is not limited to the Member states of the European Patent Organisation (the countries that participate in the EPO system and contribute to its governance) but also the EPO validation states, where one can undergo steps for validation.

The EPO validation states currently are: Morocco, Republic of Moldova, Tunisia, Cambodia and Georgia (in the Caucasus, not the State in the United States of America). With Georgia being the latest addition. [1] One will note that some of these states have a nominal geographic connection with Europe.

In the politest way possible, the current list of EPO validation states are not commonly a priority for most inventors outside these regions. However if these regions are desired, especially alongside other EPO validation or member states then an EPO patent application can be a particularly efficient option.

Whether the number of EPO validation states will continue to increase in line with European patent-imperialist ambitions is yet to be seen, however some certainly think so.

 

[1] European Patent Office, "Validation States," 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.epo.org/en/about-us/foundation/validation-states. [Accessed: Nov. 9, 2023].

[2] "ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and Georgia, of the other part," Official Journal of the European Union, Aug. 30, 2014. [Online]. Available: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:22014A0830(02).

[3] National Intellectual Property Center of Georgia (Sakpatenti), "Home," [Online]. Available: https://www.sakpatenti.gov.ge/en/. [Accessed: Nov. 9, 2023].

[4] R. Kirchner, "Scenic Photo Of City During Daytime," Pexels, Aug. 5, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.pexels.com/photo/scenic-photo-of-city-during-daytime-2759804/. Accessed: Nov. 10, 2023.