Category: News

Posted on

Opening of the Training Centre for the future UPC Judges

UPC Judges recruitment 2019

The training centre for judges who will work at the Unified Patent Court (UPC) has opened in Budapest. Launched March 13th, the centre will be based in government offices in the Hungarian capital.

The opening coincided with a two-day conference to discuss the centre, along with the unitary patent and UPC more generally. Zoltán Cséfalvay, minister of state of Hungary’s Ministry for National Economy, said EU member states participating in the unitary patent system had “unanimously” decided that judges should be trained in Budapest. Benoît Battistelli, President of the European Patent Office (EPO), in his address welcomed ” another step forward in putting in place a unified patent litigation system for the benefit of inventors and industry in Europe”. Paul van Beukering, Chairman of the UPC Preparatory Committee, on the other hand highlighted the crucial role of the UPC trained judges: “If we want the Unified Patent Court to be amongst the best patent courts in the world, we need the best judges we can get. They are the most important asset of the court. To achieve that, training is essential.”

A list of prospective judges has been drawn up, but none has been selected yet.

The Unified Patent Court website has published pictures of the training centre.

 

Posted on

Member States endorse Commission proposal to fill legal gaps for unitary patent protection

Ministers in the Council of the European Union have at the beginning of March (on March 4th) endorsed the compromise agreement on the European Commission’s proposal to complete the legal framework for Europe-wide patent protection, updating existing EU rules on the jurisdiction of courts and recognition of judgments (IP/13/750). It is the last missing part for the establishment of a Europe-wide patent protection. It is part of a package of measures recently agreed to ensure unitary patent protection in the Single Market (IP/11/470).

“By making changes to the rules on recognition of judgements, we are taking a further step on the way to the new Unified Patent Court beginning its work,” said Vice-President Viviane Reding, EU Justice Commissioner and Internal market and Services Commissioner Michel Barnier on March 4th  “Today’s endorsement by Ministers confirms the commitment by Member States to set up the Unified Patent Court as quickly as possible and make unitary patent protection in the EU a reality. It is of crucial importance for Europe’s competitiveness and growth that our businesses and innovators benefit from patent protection at a lower cost.”

After Ministers reached a general approach at the December Justice Council (MEMO/13/1109), the European Parliament now needs to vote on its report in plenary, which is expected at the latest in April 2014. The Commission is also encouraging Member States to ratify the Unitary Patent Court Agreement as quickly as possible, and to complete the preparatory work required for the Court to become operational accordingly, so that the first unitary patents can be granted in the shortest possible timeframe.

 

The Agreement relies upon the “Brussels I Regulation” (Regulation 1215/2012) to determine international jurisdiction of the Unified Patent Court. The Commission has therefore proposed On July 26th 2013 an amendment to the Brussels I Regulation to clarify how its jurisdictional rules will work in the context of the Unified Patent Court, as well as how the rules of the Regulation should be applied in relations between the Member States, Parties to the Unified Patent Court Agreement and the Member States not party to the Agreement. This amendment has not however yet been passed by the European Commission.

Posted on

Letter by the Council of the European Union Presidency to the Council of the European Union about the UPC:

The Presidency of the Council of the European Union published on November 18th 2013 a letter addressed to the Council of the European Union on the European Patent with unitary effect and the Unified Patent Court. In this letter it highlights the steps necessary for the implementation of the Unitary patent and unified patent court, describes those that are already in place and those that are planned in the next few months until early 2015 when the Preparatory Committee envisages an entry into operation of the UPC.

It articulated this letter around different sections and notably the “Progress in the different working areas” section, which identifies the main advances. For the legal framework the Presidency hence notes that the first stage of the Consultation about the Rules of Procedure launched by the Preparatory Committee had received over 100 submission that are now analysed in preparation of the second phase of the consultation in which the Legal Working Group will examine the comments including a public hearing to be held in the beginning of next year. The presidency indicates that on the basis of a revised draft prepared by the Legal Working Group the Committee aims to adopt the Rules of Procedure before summer 2014. Further more it lists other projects that will also be part of the UPC such as an arbitration and mediation centre a patent attorneys’ litigation certificate, a schedule of court fees and recoverable costs, rules governing the Registry and the registrar’s service, the rules on legal aid and the rules of the Advisory, Budget and Administrative Committees.

Another section of particular interest is the Human Resources and Training section, which explains how the UPC judges are being selected and will be trained. The Preparatory Committee launched in September 2013 a pre-selection procedure calling for the expression of interest of candidates, both on a part-time and a full-time basis, for legally qualified and technically qualified judges for the future UPC. Candidates had to submit their expression of interest by the 15 November to the chair of the Preparatory Committee. As explained by the Presidency, “the aim of the pre-selection procedure is to draw up a provisional list of suitable candidates, allowing the candidates if necessary to participate in the training program that is to be established for the preparatory phase”. It will thus ensure that a field of eligible candidates will be available for the formal appointment procedure to be launched subsequently. The Presidency further explains in broad terms what training the UPC judges will receive:

“The training for legally qualified judges will consist of advanced courses in patent law and patent litigation, possibly combined with mock-trials and internships at patent courts in countries experienced in patent litigation, as well as courses on the UPC Agreement and the Rules of Procedure. For technically qualified judges training will consist of basic concepts of patent law relating in particular to validity and basic concepts of civil procedure, as well as training on the UPC Agreement and the Rules of Procedure. Language training for both legally and technically qualified judges should allow judges to work on and participate in deliberations on a patent case in at least one language which is not their mother tongue.” (p.12) 

Posted on

UPC and Brussels I Regulation

The Permanent Representatives Committee (COREPER II) on November 27 in Brussels endorsed a compromise text of the proposed amendments to the Brussels I Regulation.

These amendments will ensure coherence between the Unified Patent Court agreement and the Brussels I Regulation, and will pave the way for entry into force of the so-called Patent Package (Regulation 1257/2012 and Regulation 1260/2012). In fact, in order for the UPC to come into effect, it is necessary to make an amendment to the recently recast Brussels I Regulation, which deals with the rules of jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of civil and commercial judgments, including intellectual property and patent litigation. The proposed amendment provides for the UPC to be recognised as a “Court” for the purposes of the Brussels I Regulation. In particular, it establishes its jurisdictional rules in respect of defendants domiciled in non-EU countries. The basis on which the amendment is made is under Article 81 of the Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). The intention is that the UPC will come into being shortly after the recast Brussels I Regulation in January 2015.

Source: Lithuanian Presidency website

Posted on

The Preparatory Committee has now launched expression of interest of Candidates Judges:

Brexit and the German constitutional challenge

On September 20th 2013 the Preparatory Committee launched a call for expression of interest for legally as well as technically qualified judges for the UPC. One of the priorities identified in the Preparatory Committee roadmap is in fact to contribute to the nomination process of the first group of candidate judges and to ensure the organisation of the training of candidate judges in the preparatory phase.  The closing date is 15 November 20.

 

For more information see the UPC website.