On 1 June 2023, the Unified Patent Court (UPC) opened its doors. For the first time in Europe, civil disputes between private parties can be brought before an international court made up of judges of different nationalities.
What Is the Unified Patent Court?
The Unified Patent Court (UPC) is the jurisdictional component of a reform of the patent system in Europe, which also created the unitary patent. The unitary patent and the Unified Patent Court provide more effective protection for innovation in Europe. The UPC offers enterprises a simpler and more effective judicial system for dealing with patent disputes. Centralising litigation also provides greater legal certainty for users of the European patent system, by creating high-quality case law.
A UPC Division on the Premises of the FPS Economy
A local division of the UPC has been set up in Brussels, on the premises of the FPS Economy, in order to offer amongst others, Belgian SMEs and businesses local access to the new jurisdiction.
The local division in Brussels operates in the following four procedural languages:
- English,
- Dutch,
- French,
- German.
It handled its first case in September 2023 and a first hearing is expected in the first half of 2024.
Discover the UPC on Video
Curious to know what the site and facilities look like? Take a look at our video.
More information?
Find out all about the Unified Patent Court.
For more information on the unitary patent, visit the Reform of the European patent system page.