The document discusses the London Agreement, an optional agreement between European Patent Organisation member states aimed at reducing translation costs for European patents. It outlines how the Agreement divides countries into two types - those where no specification translation is required, and those where translation of the specification into English, French, or German is required. Several countries have now signed onto the Agreement, allowing significant potential cost savings for patent applicants.

1. CHENNAI
3rd Floor, ‘Creative Enclave’,
148-150, Luz Church Road,
Mylapore,
Chennai - 600 004.
Tel: +91 - 44 - 2498 4821
BANGALORE
Suite 920, Level 9,
Raheja Towers,
26-27, M G Road,
Bangalore - 560 001.
Tel: +91 - 80 - 6546 2400
COIMBATORE
BB1, Park Avenue,
# 48, Race Course Road,
Coimbatore - 641018.
Tel: +91 - 422 – 6552921
EMAIL
info@altacit.com
WEBSITE
www.altacit.com
THE LONDON AGREEMENT
N.Vignesh Kumaran
Patents & Designs Department,
Altacit Global

2. CHENNAI
3rd Floor, ‘Creative Enclave’,
148-150, Luz Church Road,
Mylapore,
Chennai - 600 004.
Tel: +91 - 44 - 2498 4821
BANGALORE
Suite 920, Level 9,
Raheja Towers,
26-27, M G Road,
Bangalore - 560 001.
Tel: +91 - 80 - 6546 2400
COIMBATORE
BB1, Park Avenue,
# 48, Race Course Road,
Coimbatore - 641018.
Tel: +91 - 422 – 6552921
EMAIL
info@altacit.com
WEBSITE
www.altacit.com
INTRODUCTION
• The London Agreement, formally the Agreement on the application of
Article 65 of the Convention on the Grant of European Patents and
sometimes referred to as the London Protocol, is a patent law
agreement concluded in London on 17 October 2000 and aimed at
reducing the translation costs of European patents granted under the
European Patent Convention (EPC).
• The London Agreement is an optional agreement between member
states of the European Patent Organisation. It entered into force on 1
May 2008. It applies to all patents granted after the entry into force in
those member states of the EPC which have signed up to the London
Agreement.

3. CHENNAI
3rd Floor, ‘Creative Enclave’,
148-150, Luz Church Road,
Mylapore,
Chennai - 600 004.
Tel: +91 - 44 - 2498 4821
BANGALORE
Suite 920, Level 9,
Raheja Towers,
26-27, M G Road,
Bangalore - 560 001.
Tel: +91 - 80 - 6546 2400
COIMBATORE
BB1, Park Avenue,
# 48, Race Course Road,
Coimbatore - 641018.
Tel: +91 - 422 – 6552921
EMAIL
info@altacit.com
WEBSITE
www.altacit.com
PREVIOUS LAW FOR GRANT OF PATENT IN
EPO
• When an application is allowed, it is necessary to file a translation
of the claims into French and German (assuming that the
application is in English). This has not changed under the London
Agreement.
• After grant, most member states of the European Patent
Convention (EPC) required the filing of a translation of the whole
patent specification into the national language of the state in order
for the patent to have effect in that state.
• The preparation of these necessary translations could account for
up to around 40% of the total cost of obtaining a European patent.

4. CHENNAI
3rd Floor, ‘Creative Enclave’,
148-150, Luz Church Road,
Mylapore,
Chennai - 600 004.
Tel: +91 - 44 - 2498 4821
BANGALORE
Suite 920, Level 9,
Raheja Towers,
26-27, M G Road,
Bangalore - 560 001.
Tel: +91 - 80 - 6546 2400
COIMBATORE
BB1, Park Avenue,
# 48, Race Course Road,
Coimbatore - 641018.
Tel: +91 - 422 – 6552921
EMAIL
info@altacit.com
WEBSITE
www.altacit.com
THE LONDON AGREEMENT
Under the London Agreement, the member states of the EPC are divided
into two types:
1. Countries having English, German or French as an official language
These countries will no longer require a translation of the patent
specification in order to validate the granted patent in that country.
2. Countries having a language other than English, French or German
as an official language
•These countries will select one of these three languages (English, French or
German) and will only require a translation of the patent specification into
the selected language (assuming the patent has not been granted in that
language). They may require a translation of the claims of the patent into
their national language.

5. CHENNAI
3rd Floor, ‘Creative Enclave’,
148-150, Luz Church Road,
Mylapore,
Chennai - 600 004.
Tel: +91 - 44 - 2498 4821
BANGALORE
Suite 920, Level 9,
Raheja Towers,
26-27, M G Road,
Bangalore - 560 001.
Tel: +91 - 80 - 6546 2400
COIMBATORE
BB1, Park Avenue,
# 48, Race Course Road,
Coimbatore - 641018.
Tel: +91 - 422 – 6552921
EMAIL
info@altacit.com
WEBSITE
www.altacit.com
CONT….
For all countries
As previously, when an application is allowed it is still necessary to
file a translation of the claims into French and German (assuming that
the application is in English) prior to grant.
It may be necessary to file a translation of the whole patent
specification into the national language of a country should the patent
become the subject of a dispute in that country.

6. CHENNAI
3rd Floor, ‘Creative Enclave’,
148-150, Luz Church Road,
Mylapore,
Chennai - 600 004.
Tel: +91 - 44 - 2498 4821
BANGALORE
Suite 920, Level 9,
Raheja Towers,
26-27, M G Road,
Bangalore - 560 001.
Tel: +91 - 80 - 6546 2400
COIMBATORE
BB1, Park Avenue,
# 48, Race Course Road,
Coimbatore - 641018.
Tel: +91 - 422 – 6552921
EMAIL
info@altacit.com
WEBSITE
www.altacit.com
COUNTRIES SIGNED UP TO THE LONDON
AGREEMENT
Signing up to the London Agreement is optional. For countries not signing
up, the previous law remains i.e. they may require translation of the whole
patent specification into their national language in order for the patent to
take effect in their country.
To date, the following countries have approved the Agreement:
United Kingdom Hungary Macedonia
Germany Iceland Monaco
France Ireland Netherlands
Albania Latvia Slovenia
Croatia Liechtenstein Sweden
Denmark Lithuania Switzerland
Finland Luxembourg

7. CHENNAI
3rd Floor, ‘Creative Enclave’,
148-150, Luz Church Road,
Mylapore,
Chennai - 600 004.
Tel: +91 - 44 - 2498 4821
BANGALORE
Suite 920, Level 9,
Raheja Towers,
26-27, M G Road,
Bangalore - 560 001.
Tel: +91 - 80 - 6546 2400
COIMBATORE
BB1, Park Avenue,
# 48, Race Course Road,
Coimbatore - 641018.
Tel: +91 - 422 – 6552921
EMAIL
info@altacit.com
WEBSITE
www.altacit.com
CONT…
• UK, France, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco and
Switzerland fall under type 1, having either English, German or French as
an official language and therefore will require no translation of the
specification for validation of the patent in their country.
• Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands,
Slovenia, Croatia, Sweden and Macedonia fall under type 2 as they do
not have English, French or German as an official language. Denmark,
Finland, Hungary, Iceland, Netherlands, Croatia and Sweden have
selected English as their language for translation but require translation of
the claims into their national language. Macedonia, Latvia, Lithuania and
Slovenia have not selected a particular language, but again require
translation of the claims into their national language. Albania does not
require a translation of the claims or specification.

8. CHENNAI
3rd Floor, ‘Creative Enclave’,
148-150, Luz Church Road,
Mylapore,
Chennai - 600 004.
Tel: +91 - 44 - 2498 4821
BANGALORE
Suite 920, Level 9,
Raheja Towers,
26-27, M G Road,
Bangalore - 560 001.
Tel: +91 - 80 - 6546 2400
COIMBATORE
BB1, Park Avenue,
# 48, Race Course Road,
Coimbatore - 641018.
Tel: +91 - 422 – 6552921
EMAIL
info@altacit.com
WEBSITE
www.altacit.com
RECENTLY SIGNED IRELAND
• On 25 November 2013 Ireland deposited its instrument of accession to
the London Agreement with the result that the agreement has now
entered into force in Ireland as of 1st
March 2014.
• Please note that Ireland had previously amended its national legislation
to bring its translation regime into line with the London Agreement.
Under the revised legislation, applicants are no longer required to file a
translation into English of the specification of European patents granted
in French or German on or after 3 September 2012
• As a consequence of the revised legislation, the Irish Patents Office will
no longer treat as void European patents which were granted in the six
months prior to 3 September 2012 and for which a translation into
English has not been filed.

9. CHENNAI
3rd Floor, ‘Creative Enclave’,
148-150, Luz Church Road,
Mylapore,
Chennai - 600 004.
Tel: +91 - 44 - 2498 4821
BANGALORE
Suite 920, Level 9,
Raheja Towers,
26-27, M G Road,
Bangalore - 560 001.
Tel: +91 - 80 - 6546 2400
COIMBATORE
BB1, Park Avenue,
# 48, Race Course Road,
Coimbatore - 641018.
Tel: +91 - 422 – 6552921
EMAIL
info@altacit.com
WEBSITE
www.altacit.com
POTENTIAL COST REDUCTIONS
• The potential translation cost reduction varies depending on which
countries are selected for validation.
• Cost reductions will be greatest where the validation countries
include those which have signed up to the London Agreement
although these savings may be negated by the inclusion of
validation countries having German/French as an official language
and which have not signed up.

10. CHENNAI
3rd Floor, ‘Creative Enclave’,
148-150, Luz Church Road,
Mylapore,
Chennai - 600 004.
Tel: +91 - 44 - 2498 4821
BANGALORE
Suite 920, Level 9,
Raheja Towers,
26-27, M G Road,
Bangalore - 560 001.
Tel: +91 - 80 - 6546 2400
COIMBATORE
BB1, Park Avenue,
# 48, Race Course Road,
Coimbatore - 641018.
Tel: +91 - 422 – 6552921
EMAIL
info@altacit.com
WEBSITE
www.altacit.com
EXAMPLES
Example 1 – Validation in UK, France and Germany only
At allowance – translation of claims into French and German.
At grant – no further translations needed.
Cost savings – significant since translation of whole specification into
French and German no longer needed.
Example 2 – Validation in UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain
At allowance – translation of claims into French and German.
At grant – translation of whole specification into Italian and Spanish.
Cost savings – significant since translation of whole specification into
French and German no longer needed.

11. CHENNAI
3rd Floor, ‘Creative Enclave’,
148-150, Luz Church Road,
Mylapore,
Chennai - 600 004.
Tel: +91 - 44 - 2498 4821
BANGALORE
Suite 920, Level 9,
Raheja Towers,
26-27, M G Road,
Bangalore - 560 001.
Tel: +91 - 80 - 6546 2400
COIMBATORE
BB1, Park Avenue,
# 48, Race Course Road,
Coimbatore - 641018.
Tel: +91 - 422 – 6552921
EMAIL
info@altacit.com
WEBSITE
www.altacit.com
CONCLUSION
• The London Agreement was concluded to lower the translation costs
faced by patent proprietors.
• Prohibitive of translation costs should benefit inventors and companies
with a strong patenting track record, primarily European industry, to
which more than half of European patents are granted.
• My suggestion is like EPO, Asian Patent Office (APO) should be
created with all Asian countries as members.

12. CHENNAI
3rd Floor, ‘Creative Enclave’,
148-150, Luz Church Road,
Mylapore,
Chennai - 600 004.
Tel: +91 - 44 - 2498 4821
BANGALORE
Suite 920, Level 9,
Raheja Towers,
26-27, M G Road,
Bangalore - 560 001.
Tel: +91 - 80 - 6546 2400
COIMBATORE
BB1, Park Avenue,
# 48, Race Course Road,
Coimbatore - 641018.
Tel: +91 - 422 – 6552921
EMAIL
info@altacit.com
WEBSITE
www.altacit.com