Fianna Fáil Seanad Spokesperson on Innovation and Science, Malcolm Byrne, has welcomed confirmation that the referendum on Ireland’s membership of the EU’s Unitary Patent Court system will take place on the same date as the Local and European Elections in June.
Ireland is a signatory to the agreement for the Unitary Patent Court system but has not yet ratified membership. The Court has commenced its work and 17 of the 27 EU Member States have already signed up.
Senator Byrne said: “I have previously called for the referendum on our membership of the Unitary Patent Court to take place on the same date as the Local and European elections, so I am glad that it was confirmed to me in the Seanad today.
“The importance of a ‘Yes’ vote in the referendum should not be understated. Intellectual property (IP) plays a key role in our economy, not only for Irish inventors, content creators and business but also for many multinationals who see Ireland as a perfect entry point to the EU.
“As it stands, an Irish patent is only valid in Ireland. With a ‘Yes’ vote, an Irish patent will be valid across the 17 of the 27 EU Member states that have to date signed up. This makes Ireland much more accessible as we will be able to offer a single, harmonised IP system which has less red tape, offers lower costs, with no need for companies, investors or content creators deal with multiple national courts to enforce patent rights across Europe.”
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