Europe's one-stop patent; Reuters

Filing a patent to protect an idea in Europe can be a costly venture. Multiple countried mean multiple filings, each with its own fee. For years, the European Union has been working on implementing a pan-European patent system, but recent delays mean such a system is unlikely to be implemented until 2015. Spain and Italy have so far refused to back the patent deal, which would establish a European patent court to hear cases. Proponents hope that a new patent system will help spur lagging European innovation.