The benefits of the Eurasian patent system: a single patent for multiple countries

In 1995, the Eurasian Patent Convention (EAPC) was established to create a unified patent space, simplifying and reducing the cost for inventors to obtain a patent across multiple countries simultaneously. Under the EAPC, a regional system for legal protection of inventions has been now developed, based on prosecution of applications in the Eurasian Patent Office.

Presently, there are 8 countries that are signatories to the Eurasian Patent Convention: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, that have a total population of more than 210 million that are covered by EA patents for inventions. Besides inventions EAPO now also granting patents for industrial designs, and starting 2025 Turkmenistan will join other seven EAPC countries in acceptance of the EA patent for industrial designs.

Notably, five of the EAPC countries: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia are also member states of the Eurasian Economic and Customs Unions, which provides a direct link between IP protection in the region and economic and customs regulations.

As regards obtaining EA patent for an invention, the core of the Eurasian Patent System lies in the issuance of a regional patent, based on just one application filed with the Eurasian Patent Office (EAPO), which holds validity in all member countries’ territories simply upon payment of renewal fees.

As of 2023, the processing times for Eurasian patent applications have continued to decrease: the average time for a first action stands at 8.91 months (compared to 10.94 months in 2022), while the average duration of application review by the Examiner is 3.19 months (down from 5.32 months in 2022).

Other benefits of obtaining a Eurasian patent through this procedure, as opposed to pursuing national patents in individual EAPC countries, include:

— The need for single patent application to obtain a Eurasian patent across the eight member states, eliminating the requirement for multiple national filings and independent examinations in each country;

— The harmonization of the patenting process within the unified patent space established by the Eurasian Patent Convention, removing the need to navigate specific legislations of member countries;

— Cost competitiveness as compared to multiple national filings;

— Utilization of a single language for all submitted documents;

— The option to submit a Eurasian application in electronic format;

— The same Eurasian patent attorney can represent the applicant throughout the patent prosecution procedure;

— The EAPO offers expedited examination services for Eurasian applications, allowing for a quicker issuance of a Eurasian patent for an invention.

If you have any questions or need our assistance in obtaining IP protection through EAPO, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@patentica.com.