European Judges’ Forum 2025

Distinguished guests at the European Judges Forum 2025 (from left to right): Alexander Ramsay (Registrar, UPC), Florence Butin (President of the Court of First Instance, UPC), António Campinos (President, EPO), Klaus Grabinski (Court of Appeal President, UPC), Margot Fröhlinger (Special Advisor to the EPO President), Giovanni Galimberti (President, EPLAW), Rian Kalden (Presiding Judge of the Court of Appeal second panel, UPC), Tilman Quarch (Senior Advisor to the President, EPO), Robin Jacob (President, IPJA), Ingo Beckedorf (Chair of the Legal Board of Appeal, EPO Boards of Appeal), Aleš Zalar (PMAC Director, UPC)

The Forum gathered leading European patent judges, litigators and EPO experts in Venice for high-level discussions on key legal developments.

On 17 and 18 October, the annual European Judges’ Forum took place in Venice. Jointly organised by the Intellectual Property Judges Association, the European Patent Lawyers Association (EPLAW), and the European Patent Office (EPO), the event brought together leading European patent judges from the Unified Patent Court (UPC), national courts and the EPO’s Boards of Appeal. They were joined by litigators and EPO representatives for a series of high-level discussions on patent law developments.

The Forum provides a vital platform for judges and patent law specialists to share insights, align their perspectives and strengthen Europe’s patent framework. EPO President António Campinos opened the event by underlining the importance of heeding the Draghi report’s call for all European actors joining forces to secure Europe’s competitiveness. He praised the achievements of the UPC, delivering what users have long asked for: a practical, consistent, and high-quality patent litigation that is soon to be complemented by the UPC’s Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre (PMAC). The UPC, together with the PMAC, are expected to become a venue for global patent disputes, especially in the area of Standard Essential Patents (SEPs).

Building on the success of the Unitary Patent and Unified Patent Court

Reflecting on the achievements of the Unitary Patent (UP) system and UPC, President Campinos called for continued progress towards accession by all EU Member States to the UP system, as well as towards completion of its architecture with Unitary Supplementary Protection Certificates (USPCs). Emphasising the excellent co-operation within the European Patent Network, he stressed the importance of all stakeholders working together to further align the patent system with users’ needs. He also reaffirmed the EPO’s commitment to legal transparency, predictability and continued support for the UPC.

EPO and EPLAW deepen co-operation with new MoU

President Campinos and the President of EPLAW, Giovanni Galimberti, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the EPO and EPLAW, establishing a framework for deeper co-operation and knowledge exchange. The specific initiatives for the year ahead will be set out in the work plan, focusing on patent litigation and dispute resolution in Europe. In addition to ongoing joint activities, future collaboration is expected to include the development of training materials, analytical content and events in partnership with both the EPO’s Patent Academy and Observatory.

More about the European Judges’ Forum 2025

This year’s programme featured in-depth discussions on several timely topics, including the progress of the PMAC, the latest developments in FRAND litigation and the legal implications of second medical use claims and Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs). Participants also discussed the impact of the Enlarged Board of Appeal decision G 1/24 on procedural law and opposition proceedings.