EPO ready for unitary patent

Waiting for the UK

According to a statement of the select committee the EPO has completed the legal preparations for the Unitary Patent. In particular, they have approved how the fees coming from the unitary patent are to be distributed among the participating member states.

At present, it doesn't look like many fees will be rolling in any time soon though. When the select committee will have their next meeting will depend on 'the development of the question of the entry into force of the UPP/UPC at the political level, within the framework of the European Union'. As long as the UK does not ratify the Agreement on a unified patent court, the unitary patent cannot start. The UK may or may not do so, but no news is forthcoming from that front. At the latest the select committee will reconvene in March 2017.


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