EPO agrees Lithuanian partnership

The European Patent Office (EPO) and Lithuania’s IP office have agreed to reduce the search fees for certain applicants in Lithuania.

In an announcement on March 17, the EPO said its president Benoît Battistelli and Arūnas Želvys, director of the State Patent Bureau of the Republic of Lithuania, had come to an agreement.

The deal covers searches carried out by the EPO on national filings by small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as universities and independent inventors in Lithuania.

The agreement follows last year’s decision by the EPO’s Adminstrative Council which provided the legal basis for increasing the search fee refund available to applicants to 75%. The search fee for a European patent is currently €1,285 ($1,440).

Battistelli said: “Today's agreement will further facilitate patent protection in Lithuania. Small businesses and academia stand to benefit greatly from the reduced rates.”

Želvys said: "This supports our strategy to enhance patenting activities in Lithuania and provide a competitive edge for innovative companies.”