Unitary patent: Mandatory ratification United Kingdom, Germany and France on course


At the Unitary Patent & Unified Patent Court 2015 at the EPO in Munich some good news was given on the ratification progress of the 'mandatory' states: United Kingdom, Germany and France (Kluwer reported).

For the United Kingdom there is the uncertainty of the 'in-out' referendum scheduled for 2017 that will decide on the UK's membership to the EU. Interestingly, if the UK leaves the EU after ratifying the Agreement on a unified patent court, there seems to be little danger to the unitary patent. (Well, no other danger than suffering the loss of a major EU economy, that is.) Fortunately, the ratification process in the UK should be finalized in 2016.

Germany will start the parliamentary ratification process after the summer recess. As France has already ratified, it seems the big three are well under way to ratify the agreement.

Beside these three countries, ten more countries need to ratify the agreement before the unitary patent will start. Six countries have already done so, and it seems that the required additional four will follow.

All in all, it is starting to look more likely that the required ratifications will be complete in 2016. Four months thereafter the unitary patent system starts. This means we are looking at a start in 2017.

Photo "On Course" by Abhijeet Rane obtained via Flickr under CC BY 2.0 license (no changes made).

Comments

  1. The Portuguese president has ratified the UPC Agreement, after the parliament approval. It is now official that Portugal has ratified the Unitary Patent Court Agreement - Presidential Decree n.º 90/2015 dated August 6, 2015.

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    1. Thanks for the news. I have posted a blog about it.

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