< Back to latest news & events

News

Update on the UPC – expected timeline

April 2022

The first meetings of the UPC Administrative, Budget and Advisory Committee took place at the end of February. Following these, the Advisory Committee have begun interviewing judges for the court and plan to finish interviewing in May. It will pass on its recommendations to the Administrative Committee who will officially appoint the judges just before summer.

Judges will undertake an extensive training program on the case management system and the secondary legislation of the Court. They will elect two Presidents of the Court and form a Presidium.

In parallel to the appointment of judges, work is continuing on other aspects of the UPC. A medical and social security plan is in progress and the IT system, the corporate function and the new UPC website are being completed.

The UPC will start on the first day of the fourth month after Germany deposits its instrument of ratification. Germany’s deposit will also mark the start of the sunrise period during which existing European Patents can be opted out.

This latest update reports it reasonable to expect the UPC to be operational in the last quarter of 2022 or early 2023.

Latest updates

Milan confirmed as third seat of Central Division

The Italian Foreign Office has published a press release announcing an agreement with France and Germany to set up a branch of the Central Division in Milan.  This agreement will …

Read article

Fashionably IP Podcast Series 3 – exploring hot topics in the world of fashion and intellectual property

We are delighted to launch series 3 of our Fashionably IP Podcast where we will be looking at important hot topics in the world of fashion and intellectual property. In …

Read article

Why should I register the Trade Mark(s) of my business? – 6 Top Tips

A trade mark is anything that identifies the origin of goods or services writes Rebecca Field, Partner & Trade Mark Attorney (pictured above). This includes the name of the product, …

Read article

Alright Cuthbert

The caterpillar war may have been settled last year, but it hasn’t stopped Aldi continuing to dig at M&S. There was the limited edition Cuthbert being sold to raise money …

Read article

Applications to opt-out pass the 100,000 mark

There is now less than three weeks to go until the UPC opens its doors on 1 June 2023.  On the 9th of May the UPC has passed the 100,000 …

Read article
Event - 13th, 22nd June 2023

The HGF IP in Healthcare Conference 2023

We are delighted to invite you to HGF’s ninth annual IP in Healthcare Conference. This year’s focus is the importance of strategy. We will review the latest intellectual property issues …

Event details