Locations of the European Union ‘s Unitary Patent Court (UPC)

The UPC 's website has been updated to show the location of several confirmed UPC divisions (here). This site shows (with photos) the locations of:

- the Court of Appeal in Luxembourg;

- the Nordic-Baltic Regional Division in Stockholm, Sweden;

- the German Central Division and one of the German Local Divisions in Munich; and

- the three other German Local Divisions in Mannheim, Dusseldorf and Hamburg.

Further locations will be added as they are confirmed.

On 3 February 2016, full planning permission was granted (here) to develop the 3rd floor of the newly built Aldgate Tower. This is accommodate both the UK 's Central Division and Local Division in London. Construction of the court can now begin.

It can be seen from the delegated report (here) that there will be no more than two courts operational at any one time with one hearing per day numbers are capped to a maximum of 6 public members per hearing.

The UPC preparatory committee is aiming to complete its work on the UPC by mid-2016, in principle enabling the court to open in early 2017. However, the court will not become operational until the Agreement has been ratified by at least thirteen member states including the states in which the highest number of European patents had effect in 2012, namely the UK, France and Germany. Austria, France, Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, Malta, Luxembourg, Portugal and Finland have already ratified the Agreement, but the UK and Germany have not. More information on ratification by the UK can be found here.