European patent filing. Obtain european patent protection in 39 countries with a single application.Businesses can be found liable for either direct or indirect patent infringement under UK patent law. Find out if you are infringing on somebody's patent. By avoiding any infringement in advance, you will save in compensations and fines. Filing an application​​ You can file an application for a European patent directly with the European Patent Office. Section 60 governs what constitutes infringement of a patent for an invention under the Act while the patent is in force. The EP system is cost-effective over independent national filings where patents are sought in at least 3 European jurisdictions. Many countries allow the conversion of a patent application into a utility model application. However, in some countries there is a time limit for doing so.