The story and events leading to the UPC now firmly on Europe’s horizon began over 50 years ago. These included numerous efforts and initiatives, including the Community Patent Convention (CPC), the European Patent Litigation Agreement (EPLA) and the Unified Patent Litigation System (UPLS), which, it is fair to say, all led to and influenced the currently coined “UPC” system.
Multilateral treaty instituting the European Patent Organisation providing an autonomous legal system for granting European patents are granted.
Community Patent Convention (CPC) signed by the then nine member states of the EEC but never ratified.
European Patent Convention comes into effect.
A revised CPC signed by the then 12 Member States of the EEC, but again it was not ratified by enough states. The CPC would have established a unitary Community patent, with enforcement by national courts, including remedied of Community-wide injunctions.
European Patent Organisation set up a Working Party on Litigation to draft an optional Protocol to the EPC to enable European patents to be litigated in an integrated judicial system.
Council Regulation on the Community patent first proposed with view to creating a Community patent granted by the EPO, a centralised Court with an appeal to a specialist chamber of the General Court and the possibility of a further appeal to the CJEU.
Draft European Patent Litigation Agreement (EPLA) first published, providing for a pan-European Patent Court (first instance and appeal) with jurisdiction for infringement and revocation actions. Substantively, based on combination of CPC and Brussels I.
Competitiveness Council failed to reach agreement on the proposals in August 2000 draft Regulation.
EPLA endorsed by a resolution passed by 28 European patent judges meeting in Venice.
EPLA further endorsed by a resolution passed by 26 European patent judges passed a second resolution in Venice, approving principles for procedural rules and a European court.
