Despite more than forty years of discussion among practitioners, academics and policy makers only minor steps towards a single Intellectual Property Right certificate valid in all European countries are made. Still, a granted patent application at the European Patent Office dissolves into a bundle of national patent rights. This project will generate for the first time data on patent enforcement across EU and provide comparative analysis of the different enforcement systems using a unique data set of enforcement suits handled at distinct courts in Europe. It underpins the policy process by helping to decide which elements of already existing and working enforcement systems in Europe should be kept and further developed and what drawbacks should be avoided. A harmonized procedure should circumvent incentives of forum shopping and duplication of suits as well as the filing of cheap litigation cases.The research programme "Strengthening Efficiency and Competitiveness in the European Knowledge Economies (SEEK)" is funded by the State of Baden-Württemberg.Additional information regarding the SEEK research programme.