Following the ratification of the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court by Germany on 17 February 2023 and a 3-month sunrise period, the Unified Patent Court becomes a reality today, 1 June 2023.

In concrete terms, as of today at 9 am CET, the Case Management System of the Court is to allow for a full spectrum of proceedings, according to the Agreement and the Rules of Procedure of the Court.

Marking the historic entry into force of the UPC Agreement and the start of the Court, Mr Klaus Grabinski, President of the Court of Appeal  highlighted the occasion with the following words: 

The Unified Patent Court, that opens its digital doors as of today, will be the first court in civil and commercial matters shared by a multitude of EU Member States before which companies, non-commercial organizations and individuals can litigate. More specifically, the Court will make it possible to enforce a European patent across borders before only one court in only one infringement proceeding. The panels deciding on the cases will have an international composition of legally qualified judges who, most of the time, will be joined by a technically qualified judge. Due to its European structure and the quality of its judges most of which have a background as experienced patent judges in the national jurisdictions, it can be expected that the Court will contribute to the development of a coherent and harmonized understanding of European patent law.