Denmark ratifies UPC
Denmark has become the latest country to ratify the Unified Patent Court (UPC) agreement, paving the way for the implementation of the Unitary Patent.
The ratification follows a referendum in May, when 33.7% of residents voted in favour of the proposals.
It brings the total number of countries to have ratified the agreement to five, the others being France, Belgium, Austria and Sweden.
To become law, the proposal must be ratified by at least 13 member states including France, Germany and the UK.
WIPR first reported on Denmark’s plans for a referendum in October last year after the government failed to generate enough support.
The country is one of five EU nations to have an opt-out clause on justice and home affairs. To avoid a referendum, the UPC proposal would have needed 80% backing in parliament.
But the Danish People's Party and Red-Green Alliance indicated they did not support the proposal, triggering the referendum, which took place on May 25 this year.
The UPC, which will hear disputes over Unitary Patents, would have its headquarters in Paris, Munich and London.
The new Unitary Patent system will allow filers to obtain a single patent for inventions that is enforceable in all EU member states excluding Spain, Italy and Croatia.
