UPC prep phase nearly ready after Austrian vote

Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Gardens, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2025

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

UPC prep phase nearly ready after Austrian vote

Austrian parliament buildings in Vienna

The PAP Protocol has cleared the Austrian parliament and must now be formally approved by the president

Austria’s parliament approved a key piece of legislation on the Unified Patent Court today, December 2, meaning the final stage of preparations for the court is nearly ready to begin.

Austria’s Federal Council unanimously approved the Protocol on the Provisional Application of the UPC Agreement , two weeks after the parliament’s lower house passed it.

The provisional application period (PAP) involves the final preparations for the UPC opening its doors, such as the hiring of judges and the implementation of a bespoke IT system.

Related stories

When Austria formally ratifies the protocol and deposits its instrument of ratification, it will trigger the beginning of the PAP.

A spokesperson for the Austrian Patent Office confirmed to Managing IP that the legislation must now be signed and countersigned by the president and the federal chancellor.

It can then be published in the Federal Gazette, allowing Austria to deposit its instrument of ratification.

The UPC’s preparatory committee has estimated it will need at least eight months to complete the final preparations during the PAP.

The committee has maintained its ambition for the court to become operational before the end of next year, having initially targeted a mid-2022 start date.

Managing IP exclusively reported in September that Slovenia had ratified the protocol. That left only Germany and one other country – now Austria – to ratify.

more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

News of an alliance between two Malaysian law firms and the launch of a self-help video aimed at supporting IP professionals through menopause were also among the top talking points
Speakers at the EUIPO’s IP Mediation Conference discussed how lawyers can act in tandem with clients during mediation, and the importance of showing a united front
A report that revealed top legal LinkedIn influencers are generating hundreds of thousands in advertising value is the push lawyers need to up their social media presence
Speakers at the EUIPO’s Mediation Conference say mediation can offer a ‘cathartic’ and effective alternative to litigation that IP owners should consider
Partner Scott Sudderth says he is looking forward to building strong client relationships and expanding the firm’s patent practice
Find out which firms secured the most nominations for Managing IP’s Asia-Pacific Awards 2025, ahead of the winners being revealed on November 6
Raluca Vasilescu joins our ‘Five minutes with’ series to discuss patent mining and watercolour painting
Jan Phillip Rektorschek, founding partner at Pentarc in Germany, explains why the firm broke away from Taylor Wessing and discusses its plans for staying competitive
Royal Mail Group wins copyright and database right infringement case, in a dispute that can be linked to the history of postcodes in the UK
Managing partner Mark O’Donnell explains why people are at the centre of the Australian outfit’s investment focus and how being independent benefits the firm
Gift this article