MUNICH - The validation agreement between the European Patent Organization and Georgia enters into force. As a result, applicants will be able to validate their European patent applications and patents granted by the European Patent Office (EPO) in Georgia, even though the country is not a contracting state to the European Patent Convention. The accompanying technical cooperation between the EPO and the National Intellectual Property Center of Georgia, SAKPATENTI, will bolster the development of Georgia’s national patent system and further foster innovation in a very dynamic environment, a press release stated by EPO.

EPO President António Campinos highlighted the significance of this cooperation milestone: “The entry into force of the validation agreement with Georgia broadens the appeal of the European patent system. It will further reduce processing times and costs for applicants, as well as the administrative burden for the National Intellectual Property Center of Georgia, while guaranteeing the highest levels of legal certainty for those seeking patent protection in Georgia.”

Patent protection in up to 45 countries on the basis of a single European patent application

Originally signed in November 2019, this validation agreement is the fifth of its kind to enter into force following those concluded between the European Patent Organization and Morocco, the Republic of Moldova, Tunisia, and Cambodia. With the current agreement’s entry into force and the extension agreement with Bosnia and Herzegovina, the number of countries for which patent protection can be obtained on the basis of a single European patent application rises to 45.

Under validation agreements, countries that are not European Patent Organization member states benefit from the EPO’s centralized grant procedure to obtain high-quality patents in a timely manner with the search and examination carried out by the EPO's highly qualified examiners. These agreements provide applicants with a simple and cost-effective springboard for legal certainty in a growing number of jurisdictions, even if they are not part of the European Patent Organization.

Boosting Georgian innovation

According to a World Bank memorandum from August 2023, Georgia became the second fastest growing economy in Europe and Central Asia over the past decade, with growth averaging 5.2% in per capita terms during the period from 2010 to 2019 and the country seeing its poverty rate almost halved during the same period. However, the memorandum also indicates that Georgia’s future growth prospects will be impacted by common global challenges, including stagnant firm-level productivity as well as skills gaps and mismatches. In addition to making the country a more attractive market to European patent holders, this validation agreement can also help address such challenges by helping to facilitate technology transfer.