UPC
Fourteen countries have now ratified the UPC
By AWA | Posted on September 5, 2017
Despite the uncertain situation in the UK and Germany, other EU member states seem to continue to ratify the UPC agreement. The latest states to join those who have already ratified are Estonia and Lithuania, of which both deposited their instruments for ratification during August. The complete list can be found here. Before the new...
The consequences of Brexit are becoming clearer and clearer (sort of)
By AWA | Posted on June 30, 2017
Naturally, there are still many “ifs and buts”. We still don’t have any idea as to how hard or soft the impact of Brexit will be. This will not be clear until the end of the UK negotiations with the EU, each country within the EU and, frankly, the entire world. Trade agreements, and other...
Final meeting of the Preparatory Committee signals pending start of UPC
By AWA | Posted on March 17, 2017
On 15 March 2017, the UPC Preparatory Committee hopefully met for the last time before the start of the provisional application phase. During the meeting, the Committee agreed on a final suite of legal, HR and financial documents as well as coming to a decision regarding the state of readiness for a provisional application. The...
Tags: UPC
New UK intellectual property minister reaffirms UK commitment to the Unified Patent Court
By AWA | Posted on February 1, 2017
There is a new sheriff in town. Jo Jonson takes over from Baroness Neville Rolfe as UK Intellectual Property minister. He was appointed new minister on 11 January. Baroness Neville Rolfe has previously made some promising statements concerning the UK’s intentions to ratify the agreement on a unified patent court (UPC). Jo Johnson has now...
UK inches towards UPC ratification
By Alicia Kim | Posted on January 16, 2017
There was a sigh of relief at the end of November when the UK announced that it would proceed with the ratification process to implement the UPC in spite of Brexit. This renewed the hope that the UPC will come in to force in 2017 as planned. Whilst this was good news, what did it...
Tags: awapatent, Brexit, patents, ratification, UK, unified patent court, UPC
Cautious optimism regarding 2017 UPC implementation
By AWA | Posted on November 29, 2016
During the meeting of the EU Competitiveness Council on 28 November 2016 in Brussels, the UK Minister of State for Energy and Intellectual Property stated that the UK will proceed with their ratification process in the months to come. The statement from the UK Minister for State and Intellectual Property Baroness Neville-Rolfe now seemingly paves...
Tags: UK, unified patent court, UP, UPC
Prepare your strategy for the Unitary Patent and the UPC – (Part III)
By AWA | Posted on June 8, 2016
Strategies for pending patent applications and important aspects of the opt out procedure When preparing for the entry into force of the new Patent system in Europe, also patent application which are now currently pending before the European Patent Organization (EPO) must be considered. A decision must be made whether to try to delay the...
Tags: EPO, unified patent court, Unified Patent Court Agreement, unitary patent, UP, UPC, UPCA
Prepare your strategy for the Unitary Patent and the UPC – (Part II)
By AWA | Posted on June 2, 2016
The language regime for the Unitary Patent and the divisions of the UPC As we have written before the creation and start of the Unified Patent Court will change the mindset of patent litigation in Europe fundamentally. However, Europe is a diverse continent, not the least when it comes to languages. With the European Patent...
Tags: EPO, European Patent Office, language, unified patent court, Unified Patent Court Agreement, unitary patent, UP, UPC
Prepare your strategy for the Unitary Patent and the UPC – (Part I)
By AWA | Posted on May 30, 2016
The creation and start of the Unified Patent Court will change the mindset of patent litigation in Europe fundamentally. The Preparatory Committee of the Unified Patent will, according to the Chairman Alexander Ramsay, be ready by the middle of 2016 with the preparations for the new Court. In May the recruitment of judges began, and...
Tags: unified patent court, Unified Patent Court Agreement, unitary patent, UP, UPC, UPCA
UPC getting closer – just a ”Brexit” referendum away?
By AWA | Posted on May 23, 2016
When the UK prime minister David Cameron won the 2015 general election he, due to demands from his own Conservative MP party and other parties, promised to hold a referendum on whether Great Britain was to stay or exit the EU membership. This referendum will take place on 23 June, 2016. A current poll by...
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