UPC reason seven: English as the primary language
28 January 2022
English will be the primary language of the Unitary Patent (UP) system. All UPs will have an English version.
For businesses in the UK, US and other English-speaking countries, there is a clear advantage to being able to litigate in one’s mother tongue. This will be possible at all Unified Patent Court hearings. Costly translations can therefore be avoided.
Once the unitary patent system is established it will also no longer be necessary to obtain post-grant translations, and all Unitary Patents will have an English language version, although post-grant translations will continue to be a requirement for a transitional period. However, during the transitional period all non-English patents will be required to be translated into English. As well as simplifying processes, these changes should also help to reduce costs.
In this series, we give our top 10 reasons to welcome the Unitary Patent system and explore why the system is a great thing for innovative businesses. Watch this space!
