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

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. However, it is not possible to have double protection of an invention by a conventional European patent and a Unitary Patent in the states covered by the Unitary Patent.