Lawyers express reservations about future patent court

摘要

The system proposed for the future unified patent court, being discussed in Council, will not meet the goals of being accessible and affordable, particularly for SMEs, nor will it guarantee legal certainty, warn European lawyers. The Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE), representing the bars and law societies of 31 member countries plus observer states, has concerns about the haste of discussions and the absence of consultation of stakeholders. Many points are still too vague, it notes, so much so that patent holders are considering continuing to apply for national patents to avoid the future unitary system. "That would be a real step backwards," commented CCBE President Georges-Albert Dal.