Startup strategy for global IP protection

In addition to Steven's answer, please note that in theory the software is not "patentable" under European patent law, but in practice, a process including an original software and producing a technical effect by means thereof is considered as "patentable ".

Under these conditions, the European part of your PCT patent application may be represented and supported by a European patent application which lead to many national patents in the targeted countries there.

In practice, European patents are maintained in force by applicants only in some "key" countries such as Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Poland, Sweden and Turkey to mention only the most important.

Meanwhile, your VR application is already protected as such, the mere fact of its creation, by the copyright law on a large part of Europe and especially in the countries of Latin Roman tradition like France. When this is the case, you simply should take precautions consisting in depositing the source codes of your software with private organizations in order to avail yourself of the date of creation and ownership of your VR software.

In Europe, the best practices of leading software editors are therefore to combine protection by the copyright and the patent right, the idea being that the software is directly protected by the copyright way and indirectly by the patent way due to its integration in a process which is - itself -directly protected by the patent way.

We have a great habit of such cumulation of legal protection and are assisted by patent engineers throughout Europe. Feel free to contact me directly if you want details.

Simon