For many years the European Union has been working on the establishment of a unified patent court, to be set up on the basis of an international treaty. This agreement the second part of the EU patent package (see "EU regulations on unitary patent protection" in OJ EPO 2013, 110 ff) was signed in Brussels on 19 February 2013. It will enter into force after the deposit of the thirteenth instrument of ratification or accession (provided they include those of the three states with the highest number of European patents in force, i.e. France, Germany and the United Kingdom).

For further information on the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court please see the EPO's website at www.epo.org.

See also the European Commission's website at http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/ indprop/patent/ratification/index_de.htm

References: ;