UPC has decided on its judges
The Unified Patent Court (UPC) announced yesterday the list of judges nominated to the Unified Patent Court. The announcement includes the appointment of Ms Florence Butin (FR) as President of the Court of First Instance and Mr Klaus Grabinski (DE) as President of the Court of Appeal.
A critical step forward
This marks an important step forward in the creation of the Unified Patent Court as judiciary of the Unitary Patent system. "The EPO congratulates the Unified Patent Court on the appointment of 85 legally and technically qualified judges. My special congratulations go to Mr Klaus Grabinski for his election as President of Court of Appeal and Ms Florence Butin for her election as the President of the Court of First Instance, as well as all the elected members of the Presidium of the UPC," remarks António Campinos, President of the EPO. "The Unified Patent Court will be a key institution as Europe moves forward to further harmonise its IP landscape and consolidate a single market for technology and innovation."
Once operational, the UPC will have exclusive jurisdiction in the Contracting States of the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court on matters regarding Unitary Patents and classic European patents. In the latter case, UPC's exclusive jurisdiction will however be subject to exceptions during a transitional period.
Further information
Related items
EPO publishes its comprehensive contribution to the European Commission’s forthcoming report on the Unitary Patent system’s operations
The online conference highlighted UPC litigation, SEP, SPCs, mediation and arbitration in Europe
Discussions at annual meeting focus on shared priorities in quality, digital transformation and legal developments
Around 100 external stakeholders and EPO experts assess impact of the EPO’s Quality Action Plan 2025, AI tools and the Unitary Patent
Select Committee approved gender-neutral wording in the Rules for Unitary Patent Protection, taking effect from 1 December 2025
Exchanges on patent quality, plus impact of the Unitary Patent system and AI
A milestone in co-operation between the EPO and EPLAW
User representatives contribute nearly 400 comments on draft EPC, PCT-EPO and UP Guidelines
EPO President Campinos speaks on a panel at Expo 2025 Osaka and meets Japanese user associations
Exchanges on the Unitary Patent, SMEs and European cooperation.
EPO deepens longstanding collaboration with the American Intellectual Property Law Association
New EPO study and dataset reveal clear link between standards and patents, as Unified Patent Court set to become dispute forum of choice
Constructive dialogue draws on valuable feedback from the latest round of public consultation
Patent quality, AI, the Unitary Patent and international co-operation high on the agenda
Exchanges on the Unitary Patent, European competitiveness and how patent intelligence informs policymaking
Feedback on EPC, PCT-EPO and UP Guidelines can still be filed until 7 April
EPO President António Campinos has appeared on the latest episode of IP Fridays, a podcast on developments in the IP world, released today.
Applicants exchange on quality, timeliness and the Unitary Patent
Explore the latest patenting trends in the Patent Index 2024
Discussions focus on Unitary Patent ratification