9th UPC Ratification – could the UK be next?

In January, Finland were the 9th Member State to ratify the agreement on the Unified Patent Court, which with 13 signatures (including the UK, France and Germany) will ultimately bring the Unitary Patent into being.

But could the UK be next on the list of ratifications? The recent publication of the UK Government’s Response to the “Technical Review and Call for Evidence on Secondary Legislation Implementing the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court and EU Regulations Establishing the Unitary Patent” alongside the draft Statutory Instrument which will amend the UK Patent Act 1977 to give effect to the Unitary Patent and UPC, shows that progress is being made in the UK.

Reports indicate that once the Statutory Instrument is approved by both Houses of Parliament (which is usually matter of routine) the UK will be in a position to ratify the Agreement on the UPC.

The anticipated start date for the UPC in 2017 seems increasingly likely…