Visae Patentes

Michel Barnier getting increasingly impatient with EU Patent system

In an article dated December 26, 2011 (see tweet), french daily Le Figaro reports on the increasing impatience of Michel Barnier, EU Commissioner for Internal Market and Services, with the (lack of) progress in the stalled EU Patent project (covering the Unitary Patent and a related Unified Patent Court) and gives some insight into the state of the negotiations.
 
For those of us who prefer English over French, this is what the article essentially says, besides the usual hymns on the promised cost reductions:

"I appeal to Angela Merkel, Nicolas Sarkozy and David Cameron to reach an agreement as to the seat of the [Central Division of the] European Patent Court" he added. In case of dispute proprietors of a European Patent can take legal action before this Court. Three cities are in the running to host it: Munich, London and Paris, whereas Luxembourg may also be interested.

Another issue to be resolved is the amount of the Office fees that applicants will have to pay [for a Unitary patent] and how [50% of] this fees are to be distributed among the Member States [...]. Denmark which assumes the EU Council Presidency as of January 1, 2012 is determined to do everything possible to find an agreement. This issue should be approached in late February at the next Competitiveness Council meeting. [...].