Tag Archives: Patent Attorneys

Representation: How will a European Patent Attorney obtain an independent right to represent clients before the UPC?

Unified Patent Court (UPC) - May 24,2017 - No Comment

According to Article 48(2) of the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court (UPC Agreement), European Patent Attorneys (EPAs) who are entitled to act as a professional representative before the European Patent Office (EPO) pursuant to Article 134 of the European Patent Convention (EPC) may represent parties before the Unified Patent Court (UPC), provided they have appropriate qualifications such as a European Patent Litigation Certificate (EPLC).

The wording of this article suggests that EPAs can prove having suitable qualifications by different means, the EPLC being one of them.

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Can European Patent Attorneys represent parties before the UPC?

Sources & Links Unified Patent Court (UPC) Unitary Patent - Mar 12,2015 - No Comment

The role of representation of European patent attorneys before the UPC

According to article 48 of the Agreement on the Unified Patent Court (UPCA), there is an obligation for parties to be represented. Article 48(1) provides for the representation by a “lawyer” authorized to practice before a court of an EU Member State as a general principle, whereas under article 48(2), European patent attorneys authorized before the EPO under A.134 EPC may represent parties before the Unified Patent Court (UPC), provided “they have appropriate qualifications such as European patent litigation certificate”.

This language suggests that such Certificate is only one appropriate way among others to acquire the right of representation before the UPC for European patent attorneys.

The Administrative Committee issued Draft Rules (here) on the Certificate and other appropriate qualifications (hereafter the Draft) in March 2014, as well as a Memorandum on this Draft (here).

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