european patent convention
European Patent Convention. A 1973 treaty allowing a patent applicant to obtain patent protection in all signatory nations, mostly European Union members, through a single blanket filing and examination procedure. • The Community patent is valid in any member nation in which it is registered. The procedure is administered through the European Patent Office in Munich, Germany, and The Hague, Netherlands. — Abbr. EPC. — Also termed Convention on the Grant of European Patent.