The German Constitutional Court issued a landmark decision with implications for many companies doing business in Europe on July 9, 2021. For decades, the European Commission and EU member states strived to create a pan-European Unified Patent Court (UPC). After overcoming many hurdles, any sensible commentator will be cautious in making statements about the future
German federal parliament updates Patents Act
Germany is among the world’s leading patent jurisdictions. However, several years after the implementation of the EU Enforcement Directive, the government felt that the Patents Act (PatG) needed updating. Following lengthy consultations and many changes, the reform bill passed the German federal parliament (Bundestag) very early this morning (June 11, 2021). The second chamber of
Final blow to the UPC project? German law ratifying UPCA is void
European countries have pursued the project of creating a Unitary Patent and a Unified Patent Court (UPC), since the early seventies. Success seemed within reach in 2013 when the international Agreement on a Unified Patent Court (UPCA) was concluded and subsequently ratified by several states. However, in 2017 the project came to a grinding halt