human: What happens to EPC member states that are not part of the Unitary Patent and the UPC?
assistant: The EPC has 39 member states. Currently, the Unitary Patent is not available for 22 EPC member states. For these 22 member states, only conventional European patents (bundle patents) are available.

12 EPC member states are not EU member states: Albania, Iceland, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Monaco, Montenegro, Norway, San Marino, Serbia, Turkey, and the UK. For these EPC member states a Unitary Patent is not available and will not be available in the future.

3 EPC member states are also EU member states but not participate in the UPC system: Croatia, Poland, and Spain. For these EPC member states a Unitary Patent is not available; however, they can sign the UPCA any time.

7 EPC member states are also EU member states and have already signed, but not yet ratified the UPCA: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Romania, and Slovakia. For these EPC member states a Unitary Patent may be available in the future.

Conventional European patents (bundle patents) granted by the EPO will still cover the above-mentioned EPC member states. However, for these EPC member states, the conventional European patent needs to be validated, maintained, and enforced before National Courts as now.