On 19 February, Rachel Mumby – a partner in our patent litigation department and co-head of our life sciences sector group – attended an invitation-only workshop hosted by the European Commission on the Unitary Patent system, including the operation of the Unified Patent Court (UPC).

Alongside other leading industry peers, Rachel participated in a roundtable discussion responding to questions from the Commission on various matters relating to the UPC. The workshop had been arranged to support the Commission’s work in preparing a report on the Unitary Patent system, as required by Regulation (EU) No. 1257/2012.

Topics – with some more divisive than others – included: the distribution of cases around Europe; the impact of the Court’s costs and timelines on SMEs; the alignment (or not) of EPO and UPC case law; the launch of the Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre; views on transparency; and ways to improve the system and promote its uptake.

Upon returning to Bristows, Rachel commented:“It was a fascinating discussion and a privilege to discuss these important topics, with colleagues from across Europe, in a forum as significant as the European Commission.”

For more information on our cross-border patent litigation and co-ordination capabilities – in the UPC and beyond – please click here.