Patent applicants that seek patent protection across Europe will find cost savings by filing for a unitary patent.

The European Parliament has estimated that the new “one-stop shop” unitary patent option will reduce the cost of a European patent by up to 80 percent. According to European Commission estimates, the cost of a unitary patent will be €6,425 during a first “transitional period,” which will last for up to 12 years. After this period, a unitary patent will cost around €4,725.

Currently, the commission says, obtaining patent protection across the 25 participating member states by means of a classical European patent costs about €32,119, much of that comprising translation costs that will be significantly reduced under the unitary patent system. Under the classical system, patent applicants must provide translations of their filings in the official languages of all the member states in which they seek protection, a costly proposition.