Editing Unitary patent (section)

===Agreement in December 2009, and language issue===
In December 2009, it was reported that the Swedish EU presidency had achieved a breakthrough in negotiations concerning the community patent. The breakthrough was reported to involve setting up a single patent court for the EU,<ref>[http://www.ipworld.com/ipwo/doc/view.htm?id=237175&searchCode=H EU patent finally on the horizon] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713053945/http://www.ipworld.com/ipwo/doc/view.htm?id=237175&searchCode=H |date=13 July 2011 }}, IPWorld, 7 December 2009. Consulted on 6 February 2010.</ref> however ministers conceded much work remained to be done before the community patent would become a reality.<ref>{{cite news| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8396279.stm| title = EU moves towards common patent system (BBC, 4 December 2009)| date = 4 December 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://euobserver.com/9/29099| title = EU takes big step towards common patent system (EUObserver, 4 December 2009)| date = 4 December 2009}}</ref>

According to the agreed plan, the EU would accede to the [[European Patent Convention]] as a contracting state, and patents granted by the [[European Patent Office]] will, when validated for the EU, have unitary effect in the territory of the European Union.<ref>EPO web site, [http://www.epo.org/topics/news/2009/20091208.html EU Council agrees on next steps regarding the Community patent (EU patent)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101227055218/http://www.epo.org/topics/news/2009/20091208.html |date=27 December 2010 }}, News, 8 December 2009. Consulted on 15 January 2010.</ref> On 10 November 2010, it was announced that no agreement had been reached and that, "in spite of the progress made, [the Competitiveness Council of the European Union had] fallen short of unanimity by a small margin,"<ref>Council of the European Union, [http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/intm/117687.pdf Press Release 16041/10, Extraordinary Council meeting, Competitiveness (Internal Market, Industry, Research and Space), Brussels, 10 November 2010]. Consulted on 27 November 2010.</ref> with commentators reporting that the Spanish representative, citing the aim to avoid any discrimination,<ref>[http://www.euractiv.com/en/innovation/italy-and-spain-block-eu-wide-patent-talks-news-499638 "Italy and Spain block EU-wide patent talks"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101124090351/http://euractiv.com/en/innovation/italy-and-spain-block-eu-wide-patent-talks-news-499638 |date=24 November 2010 }}, Euractiv.com, 11 November 2010. Consulted on 27 November 2010.</ref> had "re-iterated at length the stubborn rejection of the Madrid Government of taking the 'Munich' three languages regime (English, German, French) of the European Patent Convention (EPC) as a basis for a future EU Patent."<ref>[http://www.ipjur.com/blog2/index.php?/archives/184-Spanish-Government-Knocking-Down-Compromise-On-EU-Patent-Languages-Regime.html Spanish Government Knocking Down Compromise On EU Patent Languages Regime] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202043524/http://www.ipjur.com/blog2/index.php?%2Farchives%2F184-Spanish-Government-Knocking-Down-Compromise-On-EU-Patent-Languages-Regime.html |date=2 December 2010 }}, IPJur blog, 10 November 2010. Consulted on 27 November 2010.</ref>