European Patent Convention

The European Patent Convention, EPC, is an agreement between European
nations to centralize and standardize patent law and procedure. The EPC,
which took effect in 1977, established a single "European patent" through
application to the European Patent Office in Munich. Once granted, the
patent matures into a bundle of individual patents -- one in each member
country designated by the patent applicant. Patent applicants must
indicate the countries to which they wish to have pante protection.