Germany ratifies the Protocol on the Provisional Application of UPC Agreement (PAP-Protocol).

On Sept. 27, 2021, the German government deposited the instrument of ratification for the PAP Protocol, which is a decisive step towards the establishment of the Unified Patent Court.

In a press release, Germany's Federal Minister of Justice Christine Lambrecht anounced that the Unified Patent Court is taking shape and will become operational in due course, emphasizing the importance of the European Patent Reform for innovative industry in Europe.

Only two more ratifications of the PAP Protocol are needed to enter the final phase for the establishment of the Unified Patent Court.It is now foreseeable that the required ratifications will soon be achieved so that the UPC can be established as an international organization.

We now estimate that the UPC will enter into force in 2022, 2023 at the latest.