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ARTICLE · 30 NOVEMBER 2016

Britain To Ratify The UPC Agreement?

Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP
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In a move that has surprised many, the UK government has announced that it is pressing ahead with its preparations to ratify the Unified Patent Court Agreement (UPCA).

United KingdomIntellectual Property
Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP
Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP
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In a move that has surprised many, the UK government has announced that it is pressing ahead with its preparations to ratify the Unified Patent Court Agreement (UPCA).

The UPCA is an agreement between most of the European Union member states to establish a single patent right covering those member states (the Unitary Patent, UP), and a new, centralized court (the Unified Patent Court, UPC) ,which will eventually have sole jurisdiction to decide on disputes arising from both Unitary Patents and European patents in those member states. One of the branches of the Central Division of the UPC is to be located in London, handling most cases relating to the validity of patents in the life sciences and chemistry areas.

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