The long-expected Unitary Patent (UP) system in Europe came into effect on June 1st, 2023. Over a decade in the making, it is a significant development in the world of patents. It was created to streamline patent processing, and the European Commission characterizes it as a system that “ends complex validation requirements and drastically limits expensive translation requirements in participating countries.”
As Slator has covered for the past eight years, patent translation has been a very profitable business. The UP will likely change that.
Also on June 1, 2023, the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court (UPCA), so far ratified by 17 countries, came into effect along with operations at the Unified Patent Court (UPC). The UPC includes English as an official language in all its 14 court divisions.