The Sunrise Period of the Unified Patent Jurisdiction was supposed to start on 1 January 2023, with a goal of the jurisdiction becoming operational on 1 April 2023.
In a press release dated 5 December 2022, the Court states that this timetable is postponed by two months. The Sunrise Period will therefore start on 1 March 2023, with the aim of the Court coming into force on 1 June 2023.
The Court states that the purpose of this postponement is to give users time to prepare for the entry into force of the JUB, in particular to take all the necessary steps to order and install the strong authentication systems required to access the Case Management System. This is the digital interface for communication with the Court.
The Court’s press release means to reassure and specifies that this should be the last delay in the contemplated timetable, as all the other preparations have already been put in place (e.g. the recruitment of judges and the adoption of the rules of procedure).
The transitional provisions of the EPO, which will enter into force on January 1st, 2023, namely the delay of issuing the decision to grant and the early request for a Unitary Patent, are not affected by the shifted start date of the UPC.
LAVOIX remains at your disposal for any further questions on this new system.
