Germany completes the UPC jigsaw
17 February 2023
The start date for the Unified Patent Court (UPC) is now confirmed as 1 June 2023. German ratification of the UPC Agreement occurred today on 17 February 2023.
The UPC will allow companies and inventors to enforce their patents in 17 EU countries in a single court action. The court coming into operation will also complete the so called “Unitary Patent Package” which will allow for a single Unitary EU Patent, covering the 17 member states of the UPC, simplifying the patent grant process for much of Europe.
After 1 June, users of the UPC will be able to lodge cases with the new court system and the first Unitary Patents will be granted.
The EPO’s transitional measures have been in force since 1 January 2023, to encourage early uptake of the Unitary Patent.
German ratification of the UPC Agreement also means that, as of 1 March 2023, it will become possible to “opt out” from the jurisdiction of the UPC. For more information regarding the opt-out provisions as well as the UPC in general, please look at our UPC resource pages here.
