UPC MAP

How do the EPC and UPC interact

To ensure that patentees obtain patent coverage that meets the business’ needs both geographically and economically, it is important to understand how the European Patent (39 EPC countries plus 1 extension and 5 validation states) and the Unitary Patent (only available to EU Member States) will interact.

Currently, Unitary Patents (UPs) do not cover all 24 participating EU Member States as only 18 EU Member States have ratified the UPC Agreement to date. Outstanding ratifications are likely to take place successively, so there may be different generations of UPs with different territorial coverage. The coverage of a given generation of UP will stay the same for the entire lifetime, irrespective of any subsequent ratifications of the UPC Agreement after the date of registration of unitary effect.

Select from the list of countries below to understand what patenting and enforcement options are available now the UPC is live.

EPC (EU) country has joined UPC
EPC (EU) country intends to join UPC
EPC (EU) country signed but not ratified UPC
EPC (EU) country - not joining UPC
EPC (Non-EU) country - cannot join UPC
Local & Regional Divisions (infringement)
Central Divisions (revocation/DNI)
Court of Appeal / UPC Registry
Mediation & Arbitration Centres

*Germany ratified the UPC Agreement on 17 February 2023 – this means that the Unified Patent Court and Unitary Patent will go live on 1 June 2023

**The Irish government has committed to a referendum on ratifying the UPC Agreement before May 2024.

Latest updates

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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 …

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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 …

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The Enlarged Board of Appeal has today issued its decision in seminal case G1/24.

G1/24, described as one of the most important cases in decades, relates to how claims of patents are to be interpreted by the Boards of Appeal and, by extension, all …

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UPC’s Hamburg Local Division provides guidance on the extent to which a patent may be used as its own “lexicon”

Agfa NV v Gucci & Anors. [UPC_CFI_278/2023] – Hamburg Local Division of the UPC (Klepsch, Schilling, Sarlin) – 30 April 2025 While we await a decision on G1/24 from the …

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We’re delighted to share that our client, Material Evolution, has been nominated by the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) for the globally renowned Earthshot Prize, in recognition of their …

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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 …

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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 …

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