Patent offices in Europe
European patent law is characterized by the coexistence of national patent systems, and thus national patent offices and national courts; a European patent system associated with the European Patent Convention (EPC), in the context of which the European Patent Office (EPO) grants European patents through a central examination procedure; a Eurasian patent system associated with the Eurasian Patent Convention (EAPC), in the context of which the Eurasian Patent Office (EAPO) grants Eurasian patents through a central examination procedure; and a Unified Patent Court (UPC) competent for the member states of the Unified Patent Court Agreement (UPCA). The enforcement of European patents is conducted and decided either at a national level, i.e.