Last Updates on the Unitary Patent System: UPC Publishes the Implementation Roadmap

The Unitary Patent System will soon become a reality and make it possible to get patent protection in up to 25 EU Member States by submitting a single request to the European Patent Office (EPO).

The Unitary Patent Court (UPC) Preparatory team has recently published the current version of the Implementation Roadmap including all the key activities and milestones of the UPC in the upcoming months. According to the roadmap, 1 January 2023 will be the start date of the sunrise period. UPC Agreement is currently planned to enter into force in 1 April 2023 and the court is expected to start receiving the first cases as of that date.

The Member States which have signed but not yet ratified the Unified Patent Court Agreement (UPCA) are Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Romania, and Slovakia. Spain, Poland, and Croatia are not part of the Agreement and thus, validations after grant will still be needed to enforce intellectual property (IP) rights in these countries.