Unitary Patent in Europe & Unified Patent Court (UPC · • A "European patent with unitary effect"...
Transcript of Unitary Patent in Europe & Unified Patent Court (UPC · • A "European patent with unitary effect"...
UnitaryPatentinEurope&UnifiedPatentCourt(UPC)
Anoverviewandacomparisontothe„classical“
patentsysteminEurope
Leifert & Steffan European and German Patent, Trademark & Design Attorneys
1
Leifert & Steffan European and German Patent, Trademark & Design Attorneys
Today’ssituation:ObtainingpatentprotectioninEurope• Directfilingandgrantinnationalpatentofficesor• FilinginEuropeanPatentOffice(EPO)leadingtograntof
Europeanpatentsand• ValidationofEuropeanPatentsasnationalpatents
Nationalpatentenforcement
2
Leifert & Steffan European and German Patent, Trademark & Design Attorneys
3
Today’ssituation:AdvantageoffilingwiththeEPO:• SinglepatentprosecutionprocedureforallEPCmemberandextensionstates(includingbothEUandnon-EUstates)
Leifert & Steffan European and German Patent, Trademark & Design Attorneys
Today’ssituation:AdvantageoffilingwiththeEPO:• SinglepatentprosecutionprocedureforallEPCmemberandextensionstates(includingbothEUandnon-EUstates)Disadvantagesaftergrant:
• Highcostsduetorequiredtranslationsofclaims/descriptionintonationallanguageatvalidationforanumberofstates(including,e.g.,ITandES)• Highcostsduetorenewalfeesoccurringannuallyineachstateseparately• Highcostsduetoseparatepatentregistersineachstate
4
Leifert & Steffan European and German Patent, Trademark & Design Attorneys
Today’ssituation:Disadvantagesofnationalpatentenforcement:• Riskofdivergingnationaldecisions• Potentiallyhighcostsduetohighnumber(parallel)nationalenforcementprocedures(litigationandnullityproceedingsseparatelyineachstate)• Legaluncertainty
5
Leifert & Steffan European and German Patent, Trademark & Design Attorneys
Conceptof„Unitarypatent“protectioninEuropeisintendedtoovercomeboththeseaforementioned
• Disadvantagesaftergrantandthe• Disadvantagesofnationalpatentenforcement.
6
Leifert & Steffan European and German Patent, Trademark & Design Attorneys
Conceptof„Unitarypatent“protectioninEurope
7
• A"Europeanpatentwithunitaryeffect"(UnitaryPatent)willbeaEuropeanpatent,grantedbytheEPOundertherulesandproceduresoftheEPC,towhich,atthepatentproprietor'srequest,unitaryeffectisgivenfortheterritoryofupto26(EU)MemberStatesparticipatingintheUnitaryPatentsystemandhavingratifiedtheUPCAgreement
• AunitarypatentcanbeobtainedforEPpatentapplicationspendingatthetimeofintroductionofthenewsystem
• TheUnitaryPatentonlycoversstatesthathaveratifiedtheUPCagreementatthattime(nostatescanbeaddedlater)
• Non-EUstatesarenotandcannotbepartoftheUnitaryPatentsystemàUnitaryPatentsystemthusdoesnotandcannotcoverall38EPCmemberstates
Leifert & Steffan European and German Patent, Trademark & Design Attorneys
Conceptof„Unitarypatent“protectioninEurope
8
• TherewillbenochangeasfarasthepatentprosecutionproceedingsbeforetheEPOareconcerned,i.e.therewillstillbeboththesameapplicationprocedureandthesameexaminationprocedureandthesamegrantprocedure:theintroductionoftheUnitarypatentmerelyaffectstheprocedureaftergrantoftheEuropeanpatentbytheEPO• EuropeanPatents,grantedbytheEPO,canbe,e.g.,validatedas:
o aunitarypatentfortheparticipating(EU)MemberStatestogetherwitho a“classical”EuropeanpatenttakingeffectinoneormoreEPCContractingStates,whicharenotEU-statesand/orarenot(yet)participatingintheunitaryPatentagreementsuchas,e.g.,ES,CH,TK,NOetc.
• Theunitarypatentwillco-existwithnationalpatentsandwith“classical”
EuropeanpatentsandisthusanalternativetotheclassicalEuropeanpatent
Leifert & Steffan European and German Patent, Trademark & Design Attorneys
Advantagesof„Unitarypatent“protectioninEuropewithrespecttoreducingcosts
9
• Notranslationrequirementaftergrantatleasteventuallyaftera12-yeartransitionperiod(singletranslationfeewithinthisperiodhastobepaid)
• Singleannualrenewalfeehastobepaid(insteadofanumber
ofdifferentrenewalfeesforeachEPCmemberstate,inwhichthepatenthasbeenvalidated):thisfeewillbeequaltothecombinedannualrenewalfeesinthe“Top4”mostfrequentlyvalidatedcountriesparticipatingintheUnitaryPatent,namely,Germany,France,theNetherlands,(andtheUK)
• Expensivevalidationprocessincludingcostsassociatedwith
nationalrepresentativesinallvalidatedcountrieswillnolongeroccur,sinceEPOwillactasa“one-stop-shop”,providingasimpleregistrationofaUnitaryPatent
Leifert & Steffan European and German Patent, Trademark & Design Attorneys
10
Graphicalcomparisonofrenewalfees(unitarypatentvs.classicalEuropeanpatent(validatedinall26states))
Leifert & Steffan European and German Patent, Trademark & Design Attorneys
11
Disadvantagesof„Unitarypatent“protectioninEuropewithrespecttoreducingcosts
• Singleannualrenewalfeehastobepaidforaunitarypatent;however:thereisnoopportunitylatertoreducethisfeebyabandoningthepatentinsomeUPCstatesasitisthecasefor“classicalEuropeanpatents”,i.e.individualdesignationscannotbedroppedinordertosaveonrenewalfees
Leifert & Steffan European and German Patent, Trademark & Design Attorneys
EstablishmentoftheUPC(UnifiedPatentCourt)
12
• ThenewadditionalroleoftheEPOforregisteringunitarypatentsisintendedtoovercometheaforementioneddisadvantagesaftergrantofEuropeanpatents,whicharemainlyassociatedwithundesiredhighcosts
• TheaforementioneddisadvantageswithrespecttoonlynationalpatentenforcementareintendedtobeovercomebyinstitutinganewpatentcourtinEurope,namelytheUnifiedPatentCourt(UPC)
• TheUPCisintendedtobeaforumforlitigationofallpatents
issuedbyEPOintheparticipatingstates,i.e.forbothUnitarypatentsand“classical”EuropeanpatentswhichissuedbeforetheUPCagreemententeredintoforce,andwhichhavenotyetlapsedbythen
Leifert & Steffan European and German Patent, Trademark & Design Attorneys
EstablishmentoftheUPC(UnifiedPatentCourt)
13
StructureoftheUPC•“CourtofFirstInstance”:
o CentralDivisionsinParis,MunichandLondon(Londonwillhandle„chemistrycases“)
o Local(acourtsetupinonememberstate)orRegionalDivisions(acourtsetupintwoormorememberstates)
•“CourtofSecondInstance”(„AppealCourt“)inLuxembourg•(Limited)possibilityofreferralstotheCJEU(CourtofJusticeoftheEU)inmattersofEUlaw
Leifert & Steffan European and German Patent, Trademark & Design Attorneys
14
PossibleadvantagesoftheUPCjurisdiction
• Nodivergingnationaldecisionsinrevocation/infringementactionsduetoexclusivejurisdictionoftheUPC
• UPCprovidescentralrevocationaction,i.e.acentralattackispossibleanytime,inparticularafterexpiryoftheoppositionperiodbeforetheEPO
• DevelopmentofEuropeancaselawbytheUPCovertimeprovidesenhancedlegalcertaintyforallusers,inparticularfornon-EUdefendants
• Reducedeffortsforlitigationmanagement&reducedcosts(noparallellitigationproceedingsindifferentstates)
• Infringementandrevocationcounterclaimtriedtogether
• Timeefficiencyandstricttimelines(1yearforanyfirstinstanceproceedings)
Leifert & Steffan European and German Patent, Trademark & Design Attorneys
PossibledisadvantagesoftheUPCjurisdiction
15
• RiskofEurope-wideinvalidationoftheunitarypatentwithjustonestrikeanytimeduringlifeofapatentbyacentralrevocationattackfortheproprietorofaunitarypatent
• LegaluncertaintyatleastforsometimesinceEuropeancaselawneedstobedevelopedbytheUPCovertime
• Concernsaboutthe“qualification”ofthejudges/courtsinvolved,inparticularofthe1stinstancelocalandregionalDivisions
Leifert & Steffan European and German Patent, Trademark & Design Attorneys
EstablishmentoftheUPC(UnifiedPatentCourt)
16
• TheUPChasexclusivejurisdictionforpatentswithunitary
effect• Duringatransitionalperiodofatleastsevenyears,however,
anactionforinfringementorforrevocationofaEuropeanpatentmaystillbebroughtbeforenationalcourtsandwillnotbetriedbeforetheUPC(thusthereisconcurringjurisdictioninthistransitionperiodbetweentheUPCandnationalcourts),butonly,ifthepatentproprietorofaEuropeanpatentrequeststo“optout”fromtheexclusivecompetenceoftheUPC
Leifert & Steffan European and German Patent, Trademark & Design Attorneys
„Optingout“fromUPCjurisdiction(I)
17
• An“opt-out”fromexclusiveUPCjurisdictionispossibleonceduringatransitionalperiodofatleast7yearsforpatentproprietorsof“classical”EuropeanpatentorforapplicantsofaEuropeanpatentgrantedorappliedforbeforetheendofthetransitionalperiodfortheentirelifetimeofthepatentatanytime,UNLESSanactionhasalreadybeenbroughtbeforetheUPC
• “Opt-out”hastheeffectthatactionsforinfringementand/orforrevocationwillstillbebroughtbeforenationalcourtsandnotbeforetheUPCduringthetransitionalperiod
• “Optout”maybewithdrawnanytime,UNLESSanactionhas
alreadybeenbroughtbeforeanationalcourt
Leifert & Steffan European and German Patent, Trademark & Design Attorneys
„Optingout“fromUPCjurisdiction(II)
18
• Therewillbea“sunriseperiod”forthepossibilityof“optingout”whichisplannedtostartthreemonthsbeforetheUPCbecomesoperational
• “Optout”is(ofcourse)notavailableforpatentproprietorsofunitarypatents
• Therewillbeno“opt-out”fee,i.e.optingoutisfreeofcharge
• “Opt-out”hastobedeclaredwithin1monthfromgrant
Leifert & Steffan European and German Patent, Trademark & Design Attorneys
ShouldI„opt-out“ornot?
19
• Amixofapproachesfordifferentpatents,dependingontheirvalueandlikelihoodoflitigationshouldbecontemplated, e.g.“strong”patentsforwhichprotectionalloverEuropeisenvisagedcouldberegisteredasUnitary Patent(andadditionallyasclassicalpatentfortheremainingnon-UPC,butEPCstates)inorderto substantiallysavecosts(no“opt-out”)and “weaker”,butimportantandvaluablepatents couldberathervalidatedasclassicalEuropean patentsinordertoavoidacentral
revocationattack (“opt-out”)
• Possiblestrategymayincludeto“opt-out”valuablepatentsandthenlatertooptbackinifenforcementofthesepatentsisdesiredinalotofcountries
Leifert & Steffan European and German Patent, Trademark & Design Attorneys
20
Whendoesitallstart?
• TheUPCwillbecomeoperationalwhentheUPCagreementhasbeenratifiedbyatleast13memberstatesincluding–mandatorily–Germany,FranceandtheUKàsofartheagreementhasbeenratifiedby14memberstatesincludingFrance:thusnothingwillhappenuntilbothGermanyandtheUKhaveratifiedtheagreement
• ProblemI:BrexitImplicationsfortheUPC:itiscurrentlyunknown–althoughtheUKannouncedthatitwouldnonethelessratifytheUPCAgreement–ifandhowtheUKcanbeamemberstateoftheunitarypatentsystemwhenitwillnolongerbeanEU-memberstate
• ProblemII:pendingcomplaintfiledwithGermany'sconstitutionalcourthasputratificationoftheUPCagreementinGermanytoaholdforanunknownperiodoftime