Hungary has been a member of the European Patent Convention (EPC) since 2003 and of the European Union (EU) since 2004. Consequently, the legal background regulating the prosecution and enforcement of IP rights is substantially harmonized with that of the EU, and all European-wide protection systems elaborated for obtaining IP rights (like European patents, Community trademarks and Community designs) can also be used for obtaining IP rights in Hungary besides the so called national route.