Developments

2016

Preparatory Committee Adopts UPC Rules of Procedure
January 20, 2016
The Unified Patent Court (UPC) is inching ever closer to reality. On January 19th, Finland became the ninth country to ratify the UPC Agreement (UPCA). Read more.

Member States Sign Protocol to the UPC Agreement
October 1, 2015
The UPC Preparatory Committee announced that representatives of member states gathered today and signed the “Protocol to the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court on provision application” (see announcement here). Read more.

Italy Joins the Unitary Patent
September 30, 2015
The European Commission announced that Italy joined the Unitary Patent, becoming the 26^th member of the enhanced cooperation on the Unitary Patent protection. Read more.

Portugal Ratifies UPC Agreement
August 28, 2015
On August 28^th, 2015 Portugal became the eighth EU member state to ratify the Unified Patent Court Agreement. Read more.

Preparatory Committee Publishes 18th Draft Rules of Procedure
July 24, 2015
The Preparatory Committee of the UPC published the 18th Draft Rules of Procedure. Read more.

EPO Sets Unitary Patent Renewal Fees
June 25, 2015
The EPO’s Select Committee of the Administrative Council adopted the “True Top 4” proposal for Unitary Patent renewal fees. Read more. 

Luxembourg ratifies UPC Agreement
June 2, 2015
Luxembourg became the seventh EU member state to deposit its ratification instrument with the Council of the European Union, marking the country’s official ratification of the UPC Agreement. Read more.

Italy Announces Support for UPC
May 14, 2015
After the recent rejection by the European Court of Justice of Spain’s legal challenge to the unitary patent system, Italian government officials confirmed Italy’s support for a unitary patent system. Read more.

CJEU Rejects Spanish Challenge
May 6, 2015 
On May 5, 2015 the Court of Justice of the European Union issued its judgment, rejecting the "Spanish Challenge" to the Unitary Patent System (part of the Unified Patent Package), which includes the Unitary Patent Regulation, Regulation on Translations, and Unified Patent Court Agreement) signed in December 2012. Read more.

Select Committee Discusses Renewal Fee Proposals
March 25, 2015 
On March 23 and 24, 2015 the Select Committee of the Administrative Counsel (SCAC) held its 13th meeting in Munich, Germany and discussed two renewal fee proposals that had been submitted by the European Patent Office. Read more.

2014

EU Unified Patent Court Update
November 18, 2014 
The European Patent system is in the final stages of a significant change. Read more.

EPO Implements New Examination Guidelines
November 1, 2014 
The EPO has implemented new Guidelines for Examination, which are based on recent decisions by the EPO Boards of Appeal. Read more.

Preparatory Committee Publishes 17th Draft Rules of Procedure
October 31, 2014
On October 31, 2014, the Preparatory Committee of Europe’s Unified Patent Court (UPC) published the 17th Draft Rules of Procedure, with a digest that highlights the latest changes. Read more.

UPC IT e-Filing System
October 7, 2014 
A prototype e-filing and case management system, based on UPC draft Rules of Procedure 13-28, is available online for testing. Read more.

EU Unified Patent Court Update
October 1, 2014 
As of October 1, 2014, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France and Sweden have all fully ratified the Agreement. Read more.

UPC publishes updated Roadmap
September 17, 2014
The Preparatory Committee of the UPC published an updated Roadmap on September 17, 2014. Read more.

Expert Panel established to advise the Preparatory Committee
September 16, 2014 
On September 16, 2014, the Chairman of the Unified Patent Court announced the establishment of an Expert Panel to advise the Preparatory Committee on various work streams. Read more.

Preparatory Committee approves list of Candidate Judges
July 10, 2014 
At the sixth Preparatory Committee meeting on July 10, 2014, the Committee approved a list of candidate judges deemed suitable by the Advisory Panel to judge the Unified Patent Court. Read more.

Spain’s second challenge to the UPC
July 1, 2014 
On July 1, 2014, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) heard the second legal action brought by Spain, challenging the legality of the new UPC. Read more.

Denmark ratifies UPC Agreement
June 20, 2014 
On June 20, 2014, Denmark deposited its instrument of ratification in Brussels with the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union. Read more.

Belgium ratifies UPC Agreement
June 6, 2014 
On June 6, 2014, Belgium became the fourth EU member state to ratify the UPC Agreement, joining Sweden, Austria, and France. Read more.

Sweden ratifies the UPC Agreement
June 5, 2014 
On June 5, 2014, Sweden became the third EU member state to complete its ratification of the UPC Agreement, joining France and Austria. Read more.

Denmark approves referendum to join the UPC
May 25, 2014 
The Danish referendum on joining the Unified Patent Court was held in Denmark on May 25, 2014 alongside the European Parliament elections. Read more.

Royal Assent granted for UK Intellectual Property bill
May 14, 2014 
On May 14, 2014, the UK Intellectual Property bill, authorizing the ratification of the UPC, received Royal Assent. Read more.

Belgium approves ratification of UPC Agreement
April 23, 2014 
On April 23, 2014, the Belgian House of Representatives voted to adopt the law authorizing Belgium to ratify the Unified Patent Court Agreement, completing the passage of the draft law through the Federal Parliament (the Belgian Senate approved the law earlier this year). Read more.

Strong Support from UPC Candidate Judges
March 31, 2014 
The Advisory Panel for the UPC reported that they received over 1300 candidate judge applications. Read more.

Revised Timeline for UPC
March 18, 2014 
At its fifth meeting held on March 18, 2014, the Preparatory Committee for the Unified Patent Court (UPC) announced that it will be necessary to revise its target date for the launch of the UPC. Read more.

Training Center for UPC Judges opens in Budapest
March 13, 2014 
The dedicated UPC Training Center opened in Budapest on March 13, 2014, and will serve as the main office for training the new Court’s judges. Read more.

Preparatory Committee of the UPC releases new set of draft Rules of Procedure
March 6, 2014 
The Preparatory Committee released the 16th draft of the Rules of Procedure for the Unified Patent Court. Read more.

Agreement Reached to create Nordic-Baltic Regional Division of the UPC
March 4, 2014 
On March 4, 2014, Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia signed an agreement to establish a Nordic-Baltic regional division of the Unified Patent Court, to be located in Stockholm. Read more.

French President enacts law ratifying UPC Agreement
February 25, 2014 
President François Hollande promulgated the law to ratify the UPC Agreement. Read more.

France approves ratification of UPC Agreement
February 13, 2014 
The Assemblée Nationale (French Parliament) passed a bill authorizing the ratification of the UPC Agreement on February 13, 2014. Read more.

Interpretive Note released on the application of Article 83
January 29, 2014 
With various viewpoints on the consequences of opting out of the UPC Agreement, on January 29, 2014 the Preparatory Committee issued an Interpretive Note on the application of Article 83. Read more.