< Back to latest news & events

UPC

9th UPC Ratification – could the UK be next?

February 2016

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…

Latest updates

Exam Success!

HGF are delighted to announce success for many of our colleagues in the recent exams on becoming qualified attorneys and would like to congratulate them on this fantastic achievement. Martyn …

Read article

In2ScienceUK continues to promote diversity and inclusion in STEM and IP with its award winning programme

HGF are proud sponsors of In2ScienceUK, a charity that gives young people from low-income backgrounds the opportunity to gain essential insights into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers with …

Read article

Spotting innovation in digital health – and can you patent it?

Intellectual Property (IP) can add significant value to your business, providing a competitive edge over the market, as well as demonstrating sound business planning to help secure investment. There are …

Read article

Innovation at the heart of UK medtech strategy

The UK Department of Health and Social Care has recently published the government’s first ever medical technology strategy in an effort to accelerate access to innovative technologies. The strategy document …

Read article

How medtech start-ups can supercharge their IP for fundraising

Why is IP important for fundraising? Intellectual property (IP) rights underpin the value of most medtech start-up companies. IP rights include patents, design rights, trade marks, copyright and trade secrets …

Read article

What is EUDAMED and how will it affect your IP strategy?

The “European database on medical devices”, or “EUDAMED”, is the EU’s IT system created by the new Medical Devices Regulation (MDR) and In Vitro Diagnostics Medical Devices Regulation (IVDR). When …

Read article