Georgia On My (and the EPO's) Mind

Due to an agreement between the European Patent Office (EPO) and the Georgian government, European patent applications filed on or after 15 January 2024 can be extended to provide patent protection in Georgia.

Validation state

As seen with similar agreements between the EPO and Morocco, Moldova, Cambodia, and Tunisia, Georgia will not become an official party to the European Patent Convention but will instead become a validation state. The process for extending European patents to include Georgia will be equivalent to those already in place for the existing validation states.

What does this mean for patent applications?

The practical effect of this announcement for applicants is that they can use a European patent application to obtain protection in up to 45 countries. Validation in Georgia will not be available for European patent applications filed before 15 January 2024 or any European patents resulting from such applications.

Patent translations

To validate a European patent in Georgia, similar rules apply to other EPO states in that a Georgian translation of the patent specification must be filed within three months of grant, and the corresponding fee paid. This additional fee should be factored in when applying for a patent with the EPO.

The EPO's communication detailing the process of extending a European patent application to cover Georgia can be seen here. If you have any questions, please get in touch with your Murgitroyd attorney, or alternatively, if you’re not currently a Murgitroyd client, get in touch.