London, Paris and Munich to share patent court
A landmark agreement between EU countries will split the proposed unitary patent court. But, as Emma Barraclough explains, one more hurdle suddenly has to be cleared for the system to go ahead
The unitary patent Europe took a big leap forward last month. And
then a small step back. What was seen as the biggest stumbling block –
the location of the central court – was solved with a regional
compromise. But the European Parliament postponed its vote following a
recommendation by the heads of member states to remove controversial
Articles 6-8 from the agreement. The patent is still likely to go ahead,
but it's uncertain when. In the meantime, patent owners can start
considering how it will affect them.
| How the central patent court will be split |
 |
Under the compromise, Paris is to be home to the central division of
the court while two so-called thematic clusters are to be set up in the
UK and Germany: Munich will host mechanical engineering cases and London
chemistry (including pharmaceuticals) and human necessities.
The deal was thrashed out at a meeting of the EU Council,...
Only subscribers have complete access to Managing IP Magazine,
log in or
subscribe now.
Alternatively take a
free trial, giving you 48-hour access to Managing IP Magazine (some articles and surveys may be excluded).
Subscribe Now
This article is available to subscribers. Please click subscribe to read the rest of the article.
Subscribe
Take a free trial
Please take a free 48-hour trial to gain limited access. Some articles and surveys may be excluded.
Take a free trial