ARTICLE · 28 JULY 2022

Further Progress Towards The Start Of The UPC System

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP

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Jérôme Debrulle, Chair of the Select Committee of the Administrative Council for the Unitary Patent, has recently said that his committee's work in preparation for the coming of the UPC is now complete.

United KingdomIntellectual Property

Rachel Montagnon

Jérôme Debrulle, Chair of the Select Committee of the Administrative Council for the Unitary Patent, has recently said that his committee's work in preparation for the coming of the UPC is now complete. He commented in an EPO press release that "In October 2021 the Select Committee adopted an ambitious work programme to complete the implementation of Unitary Patent protection. At the outset, we identified four main workstreams: the legal framework, the financial framework, communication, and technical co-operation. By the end of June 2022 the Select Committee had completed its work programme and is now ready for the entry into operation of the Unitary Patent system."

Meanwhile, the European Commission is said to have approved the final version of the UPC Rules of Procedure on 8 July. While a copy of the approved text is yet to be published, we understand that controversial provisions relating to the publication of judgments have been amended to provide for open

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