On July 6, 2017 the UK became the ninth Country to agree to the Protocol on Provisional Application (PPA), which is an essential step towards formation of the UPC. The PPA allows for a provisional application phase prior to the UPC Agreement itself coming fully into force. The PPA concerns only the institutional, organizational, and financial provisions of the UPC Agreement, and is intended to cover what is strictly necessary to ensure the smooth transition into the operational phase.
Germany and three other countries must now accede to the PPA before it can come into force. Once the PPA is in force, the UPC will gain legal personality and start the process of selecting judges and adopting Rules of Procedure.
The notice of the UK’s deposit of the PPA is shown here.
The Protocol to the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court on provisional application is shown here.
Summary By: Robert Dewald