Wissens Hub
Unified Patent Court – New Expert Panel and Updated Road Map
September 2014
The Unified Patent Court website has posted news this week of a new Expert Panel, and the latest update on the Preparatory Committee’s Roadmap.
The new Expert Panel is set up on an informal basis and will advise the Chairman and his working group co-ordinators; in this role Expert Panel members will participate in their personal capacity. The Panel includes 14 members; lawyers, Judges, patent attorneys and business representatives. There are 5 members from the UK; one expert lawyer, three expert Judges and one business representative. The UPC Chairman has invited the small group of experts to provide advice on the various different work streams.
The Roadmap update summarises the preparatory committee’s work to date, and has been updated with amendments to some of the key milestones. Going forward, it is hoped that the preparatory committee will agree
the UPC Rules of Procedure by May 2015; IT system procurement should take place during Autumn 2014 with system development and testing finalised by the end of 2015.
A discussion on court fees is expected before the end of 2014. Following which, planning will commence for the consultation on fees to be launched in spring 2015.