The road to implementation of the Unified Patent Court has been particularly rough, with the withdrawal of the United Kingdom’s ratification of the Unified Patent Court Agreement being the most recent setback.

Nevertheless, despite these problems, the Preparatory Committee of the UPC remain optimistic. According to a recent press release, the Committee met on 10 September 2020 (at their first meeting since March 2017):

“[I]ssues concerning the effects of the UK withdrawal were discussed as well as appropriate ways forward. Good progress was made and the Committee is confident that pragmatic and legally sound solutions will be found that will enable the unitary patent system to be functional in a near future.”

It is heartening to see that there is still hope in the project, but precisely what solutions the committee have considered remain to be seen (as well as their impact on the final form of the UPC).