Taylor Wessing announces a major Unified Patent Court publishing project

We'll be leading a Unified Patent Court and unitary patent first in 2022, publishing two practitioner's texts with Bloomsbury, one a unique account of pan-European patent law and the other a volume covering every aspect of the structure and procedures of the new court and patent.

With the Austrian Bundesrat poised to approve the Protocol on the Provisional Application of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) Agreement, the UPC Preparatory Committee will shortly have the final piece of the puzzle it seeks to start the provisional period – the final stage of preparations for the UPC and the new Unitary Patent. This keeps the UPC on track to open for the filing of its first case by the end of 2022, and possibly several weeks earlier.

In preparation for the UPC, Dr Paul England is leading a pan-European team of patent lawyers – from Taylor Wessing, including Christian Dekoninck, Judith Krens, Dr Anja Lunze, Wim Maas and Dr Nora Wessendorf, together with other leading individuals from patent practices across Europe and former patent judges – on a major, dual publishing project with Bloomsbury. 

First to hit the shelves, in June 2022, will be A Practitioner’s Guide to European Patent Law: for National Practice and the Unified Patent Court (a much expanded second edition). 

This book is intended to be an 'ius commune' – a comprehensive and practical guide to patent law across Europe, for informing cases in the UPC. The book highlights the areas of consistency and difference between the most influential European patent law jurisdictions: the European Patent Office (EPO), England and Wales, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. It also draws insights from other, very active, patent courts: Belgium, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, and Switzerland. Uniquely, the book addresses European patent law by subject matter area, assessing the key national and EPO approaches together, rather than nation-by-nation.

Second, coming in September 2022, is A Practitioner’s Guide to the Unified Patent Court and Unitary Patent (first edition).

This separate volume provides a practical and detailed guide to the UPC, covering every rule of procedure, and with a detailed account of the structure and competence of the UPC, its remedies, jurisdiction, language and relationship with the existing system of national courts and EPO. 

Together, these books will provide private practice and in-house European patent lawyers and attorneys with all the law and procedure they need to use the new court and patent.

Commenting on the project, Paul England said “with this unprecedented legal project for clients and others practising in patents, Taylor Wessing is rising to the challenge of unprecedented developments in the patent system.” 

Read a review of the first edition of A Practitioner’s Guide to European Patent Law here.