The Unitary Patent Package edges closer

The move towards a European Unitary Patent Package progresses slowly. The UK Intellectual Property Office has recently announced that the preparations for the UK’s ratification of the Unified Patent Court Agreement will not be completed until spring 2016.
The Unitary Patent Package is comprised of the Unitary Patent Regulation, the Regulation on translation arrangements and the Unified Patent Court Agreement. In combination with the European Patent Convention (already in force), the new system, once implemented, will enable businesses to obtain unitary patent protection across participating EU countries. A new Unified Patent Court, with central, regional and local divisions, will handle infringement and validity disputes.