< Back to latest news & events

News

UPC moves one step closer to 2022 launch

December 2021

The Austrian parliament has completed the legislative procedure to ratify the Protocol on the provisional application of the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court (the “Protocol”; see here). When deposited, this will trigger the provisional phase ahead of the launch of the UPC. This allows for the finalising of secondary legislation, budgets to be set and Judges to be appointed before the UPC opens its doors. It is estimated that the provisional phase will take 8-10 months, following which Germany will deposit its ratification of the UPC Agreement triggering the launch of the UPC four months’ later. The UPC could open its doors by the end of 2022 and patentees will be able to request validation of a unitary patent (UP). It also means that owners of European patents must consider whether or not to opt-out of the UPC system.

If you have any questions about this matter, please contact us by clicking the button below.

Latest updates

HGF Ranked #1 in the UK for Trade Mark Portfolios in the 2025 Trade Mark Filing Trends Report by Clarivate.

HGF has achieved the #1 ranking for the UK for trade mark portfolios in the newly released 2025 Trade mark Filing Trends report by Clarivate, recognising the firm as a …

Read article

The EPO Board of Appeal comments on the scope of the morality exclusion from patentability

The recent decision, T1553/22 of the Board of Appeal required the Board to consider the scope of the exclusions from patentability under Article 53(a) EPC. The invention in this case …

Read article

Agritech Thymes: Agritech 2030: Forecasting the Technologies Poised to Transform Farming

Whilst yet to recover to the levels of 2011-2021, where capital invested in agritech increased 20-fold, investor funding in agritech is starting to pick up, and 2025 is set to …

Read article

UPC delivers first judgment on Validity and Infringement of a Second Medical Use Claim

Sanofi Biotechnology SAS & Anor v Amgen, Inc., & Ors– Thomas, Thom, Kupecz and Dorland-Galliot – [UPC_CFI_505/2024] The Dusseldorf Local Division (LD) has delivered the UPC’s first Judgment on second …

Read article
Event - 25th June 2025

Webinar: Patent and trademark strategy for start-ups - protecting innovation, building a brand, securing growth

Start-ups thrive on ideas – and on protecting them. However, patents and trademarks are often protected too late or insufficiently. HGF is pleased to invite you to participate in our …

Event details
Event - 26th - 27th June 2025

10th Intellectual Property and Competition Forum in Amsterdam

We are pleased to announce that our partner and patent attorney Bernhard Ganahl will be a panelist at the 10th IP and Competition Forum of OxViews in Amsterdam. At the …

Event details

IP Ingredients: What Will The EU’s Design Reform Package Do For Food & Drink Businesses?

As reported by our colleague Joanne Meredith in her recent post (click here to read), Phase One of the EU’s “Design Reform Package” became effective on 1 May 2025, with …

Read article