By Agueda Bondia, European Patent Attorney

This year the 2016 AIPPI World Congress was held in Milan from 16 to 20 September and was well attended by industrial and intellectual property professionals, which included Elia Sugrañes, head of the trademark department, and Agueda Bondia, agent of the patent department, who represented our firm.

The morning session held on the last day of the 2016 AIPPI World Congress in Milan sparked great interest among the participants given the presentation of a mock trial before the Unified Patent Court UPC, which undoubtedly increased due to the uncertainty caused by BREXIT regarding the future of the entry into force of the Unitary Patent UP which appeared to be very close after long years of negotiation.

Currently, 25 of the 28 European Union member states have agreed to participate in the new UP system, ratifying the corresponding agreement. However, its entry into force depends on its ratification in at least 13 member states, among which include France, Germany and the United Kingdom. Thus, as a result of the United Kingdom’s decision by vote on 23 June to leave the EU, the future of the UP and the UPC is uncertain and will definitely involve, at the very least, a delay in its entry into force.

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