New options for patenting in Europe.

Inventors seeking to protect their intellectual property in Europe now have an important choice to make. More than a decade after its approval, a new patent system came into effect last month, which some European Union (EU) countries already have signed on to. Inventors in these countries can use either the new unitary patent (UP) system or the previously existing route of European patents. A balance between the two paths is hoped to spur a more robust pan-European patent landscape. However, the new system must be widely adopted first.