WikiWealth

A common patent system allows companies and inventors to protect their products with a single application and set of rules that can streamline business deals with the government and help to cut cost.

This issues if particularly prominent in the EU where "The European Commission says the cut in legal fees could save European firms up to 289m euros (£259m) annually."

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8396279.stm