The UPC: time to get Europe’s house in order

Managing IP

Managing IP’s article outlining the views of Non-Practicing Entities (NPEs) on the Unified Patent Court (UPC) points out that several NPEs are gearing up for the launch of the UPC in the following months because the UPC’s centralised system “would make Europe a much easier place to litigate”. NPEs also argue that UPC would provide for another way to litigate in a “market comparable to China or the US”.

Managing IP

In the recent article of Managing IP, examining future enforcement of EU patent law by the Unified Patent Court (UPC), Katalin Lubóczki, coordinator of the UPC Working Group responsible for finalising the training plan for UPC judges emphasises that proportionality will be an important principle in UPC jurisprudence.

IP2Innovate

BRUSSELS, 22 April 2025 - IP2Innovate: SEP regulation essential for European businesses' innovation and cost reduction Ahead of European Parliament’s JURI Committee hearing with Commission's Executive Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné, IP2Innovate reiterates its strong opposition to the European Commission's intention to withdraw the SEP Regulation. "Withdrawing the SEP Regulation now would be a grave mistake that undermines innovation, European competitiveness, and the EU legislative process itself," said Patrick Oliver, Executive Director of IP2Innovate. "The current SEP licensing environment is broken - unpredictable, fragmented, and inefficient - chilling innovation across sectors and eroding the competitiveness of entire European industries, who often face abuse by mostly non-EU entities. This situation places Europe’s supply chain security at risk and further limits the availability of innovative products and features and increases costs for European consumers." "The Commission's claim of 'no foreseeable agreement' contradicts the facts. The European Parliament already adopted a position with overwhelming support, and the Polish Presidency has explicitly stated its readiness to resume work on the Regulation." "Europe has become a venue where often foreign SEP holders litigate to exclude European companies from the market. The proposed Regulation brings essential transparency and fairness to a broken system." "As we look to the future of standards, advancing - not abandoning - this Regulation is essential for Europe's technological competitiveness."