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BECK GREEnER
While the European Patent office is ‘raising the bar’ by adopting a
regime that refuses to grant patents, rather than seeing itself as a mere
patent-granting authority, the Council of the European Union is trying
to push ahead with a Community patent and a pan-European Patents
Court. Jacqueline needle explains.
Proposed European
a panel composed of two legally qualified judges increase speed of access to market for innovative
Patents Court
and one technically qualified judge. products and services”.
In December 2009, the Council decided on a Actions for revoking patents would be brought
Changes at the European
new European Patents Court. The new court will before the central division. Actions for
Patent office
be designed to have exclusive jurisdiction over infringement would be brought before a local or
infringement and validity issues of Community regional division, which could hear a counterclaim
New rules will change European Patent
and European patents. or refer it to the central division.
Office practice from April 1, 2010. Primarily,
applicants will no longer be able to file divisional
It is proposed that the new court should comprise
Community patent
applications whenever they choose while the
a court of first instance and a court of appeal.
parent case is pending. In addition, the European
The court of first instance would have a central
Once again, there is a Council proposal to have
Patent Office will control the prosecution process
division as well as local and regional divisions.
a single Community patent, which would be
more tightly and limit applicants’ flexibility to
If a country has less than 50 cases per year, it
administered by the European Patent Office and be
make amendments. This, and the well-publicised
would join a regional division. Each court of first
valid throughout the European Union. However,
statement by the current president that the
instance would have three judges, including two
cost and translation difficulties have yet to be
European Patent Office is going to “raise the bar”
who are legally qualified. A country with less than
resolved. The Council has suggested that this could
of patentability, may encourage applicants to
50 cases a year could have its own court of first
come about by making the European Union a
return to national patent offices. British companies
instance if it appoints one legally qualified judge
member state of the European Patent Organisation.
have already begun to file an increased number of
from that country to sit with two legally qualified
The Council is also proposing an enhanced
national British applications. This would avoid
judges from other countries.
partnership, which would require the European
delays and the more difficult European Patent
Office prosecution, as well as bypass the proposed
A country with more than 50 cases a year could
Patent Office to make regular use, where
European Patents Court in its early days.
have a bench of two legally qualified judges who are
appropriate, of the search results from the central
nationals and a third judge of a different nationality.
industrial property offices of member states.
The stated aim is “to promote innovation by
Divisional applications
Courts of both local and regional divisions could, if enhancing the efficiency of the patent granting
from April 2010
requested by one of the parties, also have a technical process through less duplication of work, with the Currently, it is possible to file a divisional
judge. The central division would generally have goal of more rapid delivery of patents which will application on any European application at any
www.worldipreview.com World Intellectual Property Review Digest 2009 9
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