Political issues around the world have long played a major role in shaping all areas of law and science, and neither intellectual property nor the life sciences have been immune to this. There is currently, however, a heightened level of political influence on IP in Europe and in particular the UK. Significant political battles are being fought in relation to UK membership of the EU and the unitary patent system, as well as more minor lobbying in other areas such as supplementary protection certificates (SPCs).