On Wednesday, after a sufficient number of Signatory States deposited their instruments of ratification, the Protocol on the Provisional Application of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) Agreement formally entered into force, paving the way for both the UPC and the Unitary Patent to start operating, possibly within 12 months.

IP Europe welcomes this significant milestone and supports Commissioner Breton’s statement to mark the occasion: “Europe is home to some of the world’s leading innovations. If we want to continue on this path we need to give our European companies, and in particular our SMEs, the right tools to protect their inventions and capitalise on their intellectual property.”

“The Unitary Patent and Unified Patent Court are a significant leap forward for European SMEs and will considerably reduce costs and simplify procedures for obtaining, maintaining, and enforcing patent protection in Europe. A strong intellectual property framework is a fundamental prerequisite for EU industry to continue leading the development of key technologies like 5G.” stated Ruben Bonet, Chair of IP Europe’s SME Taskforce.