Related insights: IP Licensing and Transactions

Countdown to 1 June: unitary patents and unified patent court decisions loom for European patent owners

30 Mar 2023
Patent owners soon will be entering a brave new world when establishing and enforcing European patents. Talks of a single, unitary European patent began back in 1962. An attempt to create one in the late 1980s failed, but finally, the Unitary Patent System and accompanying Unified Patent Court will happen this year, after lengthy delays and court challenges. 

The new patent system will give patent holders a range of additional options to consider, but key decisions need to be made now, before the Unitary Patent System takes effect on 1 June 2023.

European patent holders should address opt-out question before Unified Patent Court begins operations

29 Nov 2022
Should I stay or should I go? This is the question current owners of European patents and applicants for pending applications are asking as the European Patent with Unitary Effect (Unitary Patent) and Unified Patent Court (UPC) are scheduled to launch on 1 April 2023. Once in effect, a Unitary Patent will be enforceable in all Member States, and the UPC will have jurisdiction over all disputes related to a Unitary Patent. Likewise, any remedy awarded by the UPC (including injunctions and/or revocations), will be effective in all Member States. 
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Brexit and... copyright - an update

07 Aug 2019
With the United Kingdom ("UK") due to leave the European Union ("EU") on 31 October 2019, draft statutory instruments are beginning to emerge which provide a more concrete insight into the intellectual property landscape post-Brexit.