Germany has formally ratified the Unified Patent Court (UPC) Agreement, so as previously expected, the official start of the UPC will be 1 June 2023.

The Sunrise Period for patent owners and applicants to opt their patents and applications out of the UPC system will thus start on 1 March 2023.

For advice on the UPC and how it may affect your patents or applications, please contact one of our experts or take a look at our guide to the unitary patent.