The new European Unified Patent Court (UPC) has been a long time coming – and now just a little bit longer with the two month delay recently announced. The new start date is 1 June 2023 with the sunrise period in which to pre-register opt-outs of European patents from the UPC's jurisdiction now starting on 1 March 2023. Despite the short delay, businesses around the world must continue to consider their strategies for the UPC and, in particular, opt-out, ahead of the revised start date. Herbert Smith Freehills' Joint Global Head of Intellectual Property, Laura Orlando, recently spoke to Bloomberg Law to share her insights on what US lawyers should be considering in advance of its launch. Read more

The UPC website has announced today that the start date for the sunrise period will be delayed until 1 March 2023 to allow users to prepare themselves for the strong authentication required to access the UPC's case management system (CMS) and to sign documents.  Previously the sunrise period was due to start on 1 January 2023.  This delay means that that start date for the UPC will also be pushed back by two months, to 1 June 2023 (rather than 1 April). The UPC site says that no further delay is anticipated. This June start date would require Germany to deposit its instrument of ratification of the UPC Agreement in February. Read more

Following the Unified Patent Court (UPC) Administrative Committee's appointment of 85 legal and technical judges last month, including the appointment of two legally qualified judges in the Milan local division, Herbert Smith Freehills' Joint Global Head of Intellectual Property Laura Orlando shares her insights with Managing IP on what this may mean for the UPC. Read more

The Unified Patent Court has launched its official website today, replacing the UPC Preparatory Committee's original site at the same address: www.unified-patent-court.org.  The new website carries links to all the key legal documents establishing the Court and to the Procedural Rules, as well as information on the Court and Registry. Read more

On 19 October 2022, the Unified Patent Court (UPC) Administrative Committee announced the appointment of 85 legal and technical judges, ready for when the UPC Agreement comes into force, likely in Spring 2023 (1 April 2023 as per the latest announcement from the UPC Administrative Committee). Milan-based Joint Global Head of Intellectual Property, Laura Orlando, discusses the latest announcement with Amy Sandys at JUVE Patent in the article UPC divisions demonstrate clout with choice of experienced legal judges. Read more

Laura Orlando and Rachel Montagnon were in conversation with Adam Houldsworth of IAM recently, leading to their comments being published in the IAM article "Your guide to the UPC on day one". Access the article and their quotes here. Read more

Following the Rules of Procedure of the new court coming into force in September, the UPC's Administrative Committee confirms timetable leading up to the start of the new court and availability of unitary patents and the opt-out sunrise period. Read more