On November 26, the Bundestag adopted the ratification bill on a unified patent court (UPC).
This is an important step towards the implementation of the unitary patent in the European Union. It remains to pass the stage of the Bundesrat (upper house of the German Parliament), which will have to give its approval.
This will conclude the German ratification procedure, and it will then be possible – in principle – to set up the unified court probably in 2022.
This Agreement will enter into force after ratification by 13 of the 25 participating European Union Member States, including Germany, France and Italy.
Ultimately, the unitary patent will make it possible to obtain protection covering up to 25 Member States of the European Union thanks to a single patent application filed with the EPO, which will simplify the procedure and make it less expensive for applicants.
In particular, this involves reproducing the patent system already in place since 1996 for the European trademark and the European design. We will continue to keep you informed.
