From 14 February 2022 European patents registered in Hungary became available in the EFPR system. According to the statement of the Hungarian Intellectual Property Office (“HIPO”), by joining to the EFPR system, 34,000 patents registered in Hungary became available and searchable on the site of the EFPR. It is important to have a common platform for the patent registry, as customers do not need to look up national sites and search for similar patents before requesting registration. The system itself is capable of informing the user about countries in which the European patent in question is not protected anymore.
The EFPR (European Federated Patent Register) system was created by the European Patent Office to serve as a common platform for different national intellectual property offices. More than 30 countries joined the system already, making it the largest European platform for patents. The EFPR is the main source of information for European professionals such as patent attorneys, IP consultants and industry representatives.
European patents form an important part of the Hungarian patent system, as well as generate income based on the European Patent Convention. According to the statement of HIPO, in 2021 more than HUF 3 billion (approx. EUR 8 million) were paid to the HIPO as royalties, which is expected to grow with the joining.
By Rita Parkanyi, Partner, KCG Partners Law Firm
