German patent practitioners, like those across the rest of the continent, wait with bated breath for the arrival of the Unified Patent Court (UPC), which has been promised for several years now but has not yet materialised due to setbacks and Covid-19 delays. With the early stages of the pandemic...

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German patent practitioners, like those across the rest of the continent, wait with bated breath for the arrival of the Unified Patent Court (UPC), which has been promised for several years now but has not yet materialised due to setbacks and Covid-19 delays. With the early stages of the pandemic now behind us, plans are jetting back into motion to get the court up and running, and Germany is set to become one of its key venues. The country continues to be a hub for patent litigation, especially where SEP and FRAND issues are concerned, with automotive and telecommunications companies frequently locking horns over licensing issues – the dispute between Nokia, Daimler and a host of intervenors remains of particular note. On the prosecution side, patent filings are still high despite the economic environment of the past two years, proving that innovation will persist in Germany, especially while its patent practitioners continue to excel at creating the best commercial conditions for technology companies at every level.

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