Germany ratifies the UPC Agreement: the countdown begins!

[21/02/2023]

Germany has just announced that it ratified the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court.

After the first ratification by France in 2014, Germany is the 17th member state to ratify the Agreement. This last ratification is important as it allows the Agreement to enter into force on 1 June 2023.

It will be preceded by a "sunrise period", which will begin on 1 March, 2023, during which several preparations can be made. Patent owners and applicants may, among others, decide to opt-out from the UPC system to ensure that their patents remain under the sole jurisdiction of the national courts.

Further, before 1 June, it is possible to file an early request for unitary effect for European patent applications under certain conditions.

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