While the EPO is working on a fee structure for the renewal of the Unitary Patent (see our post), the UPC Preparatory Committee discussed at its 8th meeting on 27 February 2015 the court fee structure and consultation document.
According to its website, the UPC now anticipates that this consultation will launch in Spring 2015. The Chairman of the Preparatory Committee is in fact “keen to begin engaging with stakeholder and users and asked the relevant working group co-ordinators to prepare the text to meet this deadline”. The IPCopy reports that “the Fees Consultation Sub-group is working towards a redraft of the court fees consultation document to be released in May. There are apparently a number of inconclusive “key policy points” but there is recognition that they need to seek views as soon as possible.” To this effect, the comments of the Expert Panel -who advises the Chair and working group co-ordinators and met in February 2015- are now being considered by the relevant teams. Thus, if the Select Committee meets its deadline we should thus soon know more about the UPC fees…