Still Unifying? The Future of the Unified Patent Court

Since its launching, the Unified Patent Court (UPC) project has faced obstacles and scepticism from some EU Member States. When the United Kingdom ratified the UPC Agreement in 2018, it seemed that there was nothing left but to wait for a positive decision of the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany on the ratification by that country, so that finally the UPC could start its activity. Nevertheless, 2020 brought events that make one look back and reflect on the project itself. The UK withdrew its ratification and the Federal Constitutional Court ruled the German ratification process of the UPC Agreement unconstitutional. Then two new complaints were submitted to the Federal Constitutional Court, which this summer finally gave the green light to the ratification, but it seems the UPC project has already split Europe. The question that arises is whether, in the context of last year’s events and the fracture between the states, the unitary patent system can still be seen as unifying the European patent litigation system. This article discusses the examples of Poland, Hungary and the UK, as countries that refuse to participate in the system due to its interference in their internal legal systems and sovereignty, and other examples of fractures visible in the UPC.

Problematyka wybranych zagadnień jednolitej ochrony patentowej

Problems related to selected issues of unitary patent protection Unitary patent protection is one of the key challenges for the European Union. The current initiatives, which – despite being just a short step away from full implementation due to legal and formal issues, such as the complex legal structure or non-legal claims concerning their negative impact on the economy and competitiveness of enterprises – still raise doubts and uncertainties. The aim of this article is to illustrate the problem of unitary patent protection on selected issues concerning the European patent with unitary effect and the Unified Patent Court. The obstacles that prevent the implementation of the Unified Patent Court are presented. Critical voices assessing the proposed model of unitary patent protection are also presented and discussed.

4. Introduction to European Patent Law

This chapter introduces the European law of patents and related rights with a discussion of the nature of patents as limited-term monopoly rights granted in respect of new, inventive, and industrially applicable inventions and the routes to obtaining patent protection in Europe. It then considers the existing European patent system established by the European Patent Convention 1973/2000, including its basis in state-based conceptions of IP territoriality, and the challenges presented to that system by globalization and developing technology. And finally, it discusses the long-standing pursuit of a unitary patent and unified patent court for Europe, including the reasons for each, and the features of the proposed Unitary Patent Package of 2012/2013.

7. Supplementary protection certificates and the unitary patent

This chapter considers certain aspects of the involvement of the European Union (EU) with patent law. These aspects involve add-ons to a traditional patent system that is based on national patents. The first—supplementary protection certificates—is already in place. The other, the unitary patent, is close to becoming a reality.

Date of effect

According to Art 3(1) EPUE Reg, an EP granted with the same set of claims in respect of all the participating Member States shall benefit from unitary effect in the participating Member States provided that its unitary effect has been registered in the Register for unitary patent protection. That means that the unitary effect of an EP arises on entry in the Register for unitary patent protection kept by the EPO (Art 2(d)).

Powers of the Court concerning decisions of the European Patent Office

In actions brought under Article 32(1)(i), the Court may exercise any power entrusted on the European Patent Office in accordance with Article 9 of Regulation (EU) No 1257/2012, including the rectification of the Register for unitary patent protection.

Administrative tasks in the framework of the European Patent Organisation

The EPUE Reg is a ‘special agreement’ within the meaning of Art 142(1) EPC (Recital 6; → Introduction to this Commentary, mn 125–34). The participating Member States, as a ‘group of Contracting States’ to the EPC, may therefore ‘give additional tasks’ to the EPO (Art 143(1) EPC). Art 9(1) EPUE Reg sets out which tasks these are and provides that they are to be given to the EPO. They have been given to the EPO by the Rules relating to Unitary Patent Protection (RUPR) (→ Annex following mn 45).