Can I combine national patents, European patents and Unitary Patents?

Yes. A Unitary Patent offers an additional option for patent protection in Europe, available alongside the two existing options, namely the national route or a "conventional" European patent. Those preferring to seek protection in individual EPC contracting states can still file patent applications with those states' national patent offices, and it also remains possible to validate a European patent in one or more EPC contracting states. Moreover, a Unitary Patent can be combined with a conventional European patent: it is possible to have a European patent registered as a Unitary Patent and additionally validate that European patent in the other EPC contracting states whose territories are not covered by the Unitary Patent system because they are not EU Member States or they are EU Member States but are not participating in enhanced cooperation on Unitary Patent protection or they are EU Member States that are participating in enhanced cooperation but have not yet ratified or acceded to the UPCA.

However, it is not possible to have double protection of an invention by a conventional European patent and a Unitary Patent. Where the unitary effect of a European patent has been registered and extends to a participating Member State, the European patent will be deemed not to have taken effect as a national patent in its territory on the date of publication of the mention of the grant in the European Patent Bulletin.