IP news & updates

After many years of discussion, preparation, and recent delays, it has finally been announced that the Unified Patent Court Agreement (UPCA) will come into effect on 1 April 2023, with the so-called Sunrise Period beginning on 1 January 2023.

With Germany expected to deposit its instrument of ratification of the Unified Patent Court Agreement (UPCA) in the coming months, it is predicted that the Unitary Patent Package (UPP) may enter into force in late 2022 or early 2023.

The European patent system is shortly to undergo its biggest change in 40 years, with the launch of the Unitary Patent Package (UPP). 

Germany has now ratified the Unified Patent Court Agreement after a long delay caused by challenges before the Constitutional Court.

In 2017 the Hungarian Government requested that the Hungarian Constitutional Court provide an opinion as to whether the Unified Patent Court Agreement (UPCA) would be compatible with the country’s constitution.

The European patent system is shortly to undergo its biggest change in 40 years, with the launch of the Unitary Patent Package (UPP).

On the 26 April 2018, the UK completed ratification of the UPC Agreement, to set up a court for the enforcement of Unitary Patents across contracting states...

This week’s draft Brexit agreement may help the United Kingdom to stay part of the Unitary Patent Package.

Current Provisions in EPC Territories

The European patent system is shortly to undergo its biggest change in 40 years, with the launch of the Unitary Patent Package (UPP). Here we summarise the new system and the practical implications for businesses.

In 2017 the European patent system is to undergo its biggest change in 40 years, with the launch of the Unitary Patent Package (UPP). Here we summarise the new system and the practical implications for businesses.

The Preparatory Committee working to establish the Unified Patent Court (UPC) that will be a critical part of the new European Unified Patents Package announced this week that it expects the UPC to start operations in December of this year.

The UK government yesterday announced its intention to proceed with preparations for ratification of the Unified Patent Court Agreement.

The future of the European Unitary Patent Package has been a hot topic in patent circles since the UK referendum resulted in a vote to leave the EU.

As part of our series on the new European Unitary Patent Package, in this article we examine what is known so far about costs considerations with respect to the Unified Patent Court.

As part of our series on the new European Unitary Patent Package, in this article we summarise what is known so far about some of the procedural aspects of the Unified Patent Court, specifically the General Structure of...

The new European Unitary Patent Package has been increasingly discussed in recent weeks, as the ramifications of its entry into effect loom ever larger on the patents horizon.

As discussed in previous articles on this website, once it is up and running, the Unified Patent Court (UPC) will allow for central enforcement/challenge of ‘unitary patents’ (patents which will have effect in all EU Member States which have ratified the UPC Agreement), as well as certain other patents in these territories.

The long-awaited Unitary Patent system, i.e. the European Patent with Unitary Effect (EPUE or “Unitary Patent”) and the associated Unified Patent Court (UPC) are scheduled to enter into force from early 2017, with a “sunrise period” expected to bring certain provisions into force towards the end of 2016.

There has been a flurry of articles recently about the “unitary patent system”, which is made up of the newly-created Unified Patent Court (UPC) and the European Patent with Unitary Effect (EPUE, though more often referred to simply as the Unitary Patent).