Section
Introductory brochures
Basic information about the Unitary Patent system – its economic impact and how it fits into the existing European patent framework – has been published in two digital brochures in four languages. Stakeholders are invited to use these as part of their own outreach and training activities, and to share them with their own communities. These will be periodically updated, so check back here to find the latest version.
Unitary Patent System – conference, 17-11-22
The Unitary Patent System - a game-changer for innovation in Europe, was a high-level conference attended by over 250 persons in Brussels on 17 November 2022, with over 1000 more following the livestream online. The event was hosted by Ministry of the Economy of Belgium, in partnership with the European Commission and the European Patent Office.
Opening Speeches
High‑level speakers will discuss the various avenues that the Unitary Patent system will open up for IP protection, as well as its potential to boost innovation across Europe.
Presentation of the European patent system
Speaker: James Nurton
Opening addresses
Speaker: António Campinos, President of the European Patent Office
Speaker: Anna-Carin Svensson, Director-General for International Affairs at the Swedish Ministry of Justice
Speaker: Angelika Niebler, Member of the European Parliament
Views from present and former representatives of EU institutions
Speakers:
Maive Rute, Deputy Director-General and Chief Standardisation Officer, DG GROW, EuropeanCommission
Didier Seeuws, Director-General for General and Institutional Policy, Council of the EU
Cecilia Wikström, former Member of the European Parliament and shadow rapporteur for the UPP regulationsPanel discussions
Through a series of panel discussions the conference will present insight into the Unitary Patent system from a number of perspectives and evaluate its advantages for entrepreneurs and innovating businesses.
Views of academics
Panel moderator:
Giovanni Casucci, Partner at EY Studio Legale Tributario IP Department, advisory board member of EPLAW, the European Patent Lawyers Association
Speakers:
Professor Bruno Van Pottelsberghe (Université libre de Bruxelles) Professor Edouard Treppoz (Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne university)
Professor Anselm Kamperman Sanders (Maastricht University)Views of business associations
Panel moderator:
James Nurton
Speakers:
Thierry Sueur, BusinessEurope
Véronique Willems, Secretary General of SMEunited
Ben Butters, EurochambersViews of innovative SMEs
Panel moderator:
Gabriel Grésillon, Reporter at Les Echos
Speakers:
Professor Nuno Correia, INEGI / Solaris Float
Ruben Bonet, President and CEO, Fractus
Arnaud Castaignet, Vice President, Public Relations & Government Affairs, Skeleton Technologies
Professor Karl Leo, European Inventor Award 2021 in the "Lifetime achievement" categoryViews of professional representatives
Panel moderator:
Joff Wild, Editor-at-large for IAM and WTR
Speakers:
Klaus Haft, trial lawyer in intellectual property law, past-president and advisory board member of EPLAW, the European Patent Lawyers Association
Ina Schreiber, Patent Attorney at Plasseraud IP
Koen Bijvank, Advocaat and Patent Attorney at Brinkhof, AmsterdamViews of judges
Panel moderator:
Kevin Mooney, co-founder, past-president and advisory board member of EPLAW, the European Patent Lawyers Association
Speakers:
Klaus Grabinski, President of the Court of Appeal of the UPC
Florence Butin, President of the Court of First Instance of the UPC
Rian Kalden, Presiding judge of the second panel of the Court of Appeal of the UPC
Emanuela Germano, Judge to the Court of Appeal of the UPC
Stefan Johansson, Judge to the Court of First Instance of the UPC, NordicBaltic Regional DivisionConclusion
Conclusions
Speaker:
Winfried Tilmann, Professor Emeritus at Heidelberg University, co-founder and advisory board member of EPLAW, the European Patent Lawyers Association
Unitary Patent Package - recorded online seminar
The Unitary Patent will supplement and strengthen the existing centralised European patent granting system and will make it possible to obtain uniform patent protection in up to 25 EU member states by submitting a single request to the EPO. It will offer users of the patent system a cost-effective option for patent protection and dispute settlement across Europe.
Watch here the recorded live session held on 05 April 2022 with Stefan Luginbuehl as speaker and download the presentation shown.
The Unitary Patent: practical aspects for patent attorneys and paralegals
In an online lecture on 13 May 2022, two experienced EPO lawyers focussed on practical aspects of Unitary Patents, addressing patent attorneys, paralegals and administrative staff.
Find below the material of the online session.
The Unitary Patent in EPO data tools (short videos)
The EPO’s Patent Knowledge Team have prepared the “Patent Knowledge Nuggets”, a series of detailed short videos describing specific features and explaining tricks and tips for our online data tools, like the European Patent Register and Espacenet. Not all of these videos relate to the Unitary Patent, but for those which do, a link to the video is placed here.
More videos will be produced once the Unitary Patent system begins.
European Patent Register – Searching for Unitary Patents and the results list (00:06:26)
Learn how to search in the European Patent Register for patents for which unitary effect has been requested or registered, using either Advanced search or Smart search, and explore the search results list.
Unitary Patent IT Workshops
On 7 and 8 April 2022, the EPO held the first of two UPP IT workshops to inform users about the changes made to the existing IT infrastructure for the new UP system to make it easier for them in future to access and use the necessary tools and forms.
Find below the material of the workshop.
Recordings of the tools demos
On 23 and 25 May 2022, the EPO held a second Unitary Patent IT workshop which included a live demonstration of how to access and use the tools and forms required for the new Unitary Patent system. [Reference to Form 2025 – request to delay grant – is not relevant after 31 May 2023.]
Recordings of these demos can be found below.
Patent Data User Days
On 08 and 09 June 2022 the EPO held the EPO Patent Data User Days aimed at patent data specialists. The first day looked at the impact of the Unitary Patent on EPO bulk data sets and services and focused on latest information on Unitary Patent implementation from both legal and IT perspectives.
Find below the programme of the online event, as well as the material of the first day.
Unified Patent Court
Three experts with great knowledge of Europe’s new single court for patents have been interviewed by Stefan Luginbuehl (Head of Department European Legal Affairs, EPO, and Unitary Patent package expert). They explain the functioning of the Unified Patent Court which will come into operation on 1 June 2023.
Introduction to the UPC; timeline for introduction; opt-outs
Speaker: Kevin Mooney (UK)
Former Chair, drafting committee for UPC Rules of ProcedureUPC – structure, language and jurisdiction
Speaker: Klaus Grabinski
President of the Court of Appeal; UPCProceedings before the UPC
Speaker: Pierre Véron (FR)
Member, UPC Expert Panel Group and Drafting Committee Rules of Procedure
Patent Knowledge Week
One of the main topics of Patent Knowledge Week 2022 was the upcoming Unitary Patent. A dedicated block in the conference programme introduced the framework of the Unitary Patent, highlighted its economic impact and gave insight into the newly founded Unified Patent Court. These presentations were complemented by an overview on the Unitary Patent in the various EPO patent information tools and services and a panel discussion addressing the opportunities and challenges for SMEs.
The Unitary Patent: Facilitating access to patent protection with reduced complexity
Speaker: Michael Fröhlich, EPO
The economic impact of the Unitary Patent
Speaker: Yann Ménière, EPO
The Unified Patent Court
Speaker: Pierre-Louis Blerot, Centre des technologies de l'information de l'État
The Unitary Patent in the EPO's products, data and tools
Speakers: Yolanda Sánchez García, Vesna Vajsbaher, Nuria Nine, Sofie Leplae, all EPO
The Unitary Patent: opportunities and challenges for SMEs
Moderator: Gerard Owens, EPO
Panellists:
Stefan Luginbuehl, EPO
Joachim Fiedler, FIDLOCK GmbH
Véronique Willems, SMEunited
Klaus Haft, Hoyng Rokh Monegier