Tag: patent term extension

Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs) are a form of additional patent protection for pharmaceuticals and plant protection products, granting up to 5 years of extra market protection beyond the standard 20 year patent period. The E.U has established regulations to ensure uniformity across member countries in the grant of SPCs, and over 20000 SPCs have been granted since 1993. Further study is needed to identify when and where SPCs are necessary to ensure they are used responsibly and do not unreasonably extend market monopolies.