la cour unifiée des brevets (upc) - enjeux et défis immédiats par bruno vandermeulen et isabelle...

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Vendredi 25 avril La Cour Unifiée des Brevets (UPC) - Enjeux et défis immédiats Bruno VANDERMEULEN et Isabelle DUPUIS, Bird & Bird

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Une révolution telle que le droit des brevets ne l'a plus connue en 40 ans : l'Europe se dote d'un brevet unitaire et l'UPC va s'ouvrir aux entreprises à l'horizon 2015. Des options stratégiques doivent cependant déjà être étudiées et des décisions prises aujourd'hui par tout titulaire de brevet et, en particulier, les donneurs de licence. Le temps est à l'innovation et à la refonte de vos stratégies en matière de brevet. Les orateurs ont passé en revue les implications pratiques et stratégiques du nouveau régime et brossé un aperçu des derniers développements relatifs à la mise en place du système UPC.

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: La Cour Unifiée des Brevets (UPC) - Enjeux et défis immédiats par Bruno Vandermeulen et Isabelle Dupuis | Liege Creative, 25.04.14

Vendredi 25 avril

La Cour Unifiée des Brevets (UPC) - Enjeux et défis immédiats

Bruno VANDERMEULEN et Isabelle DUPUIS, Bird & Bird

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Avec le soutien de :

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UPC strategic challenges

Liege Creative

25 April 2014

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Page 2 © Bird & Bird LLP 2014

Table of contents

•  The New UPC System •  In the News •  Strategic Issues •  Transitional Regime

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The New UPC System

A Refresher

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Current Patent Litigation in Europe

European Patent Convention •  38 member states, 27 European Union member states •  Central patent application procedure •  Granted patents are subject to the laws of the countries of

registration, and so are claims for infringement •  CJEU 13-7-2006, C-539/03, Roche vs Primus & Goldenberg

•  Validity: exclusive jurisdiction of each country of registration •  Article 24 section 4 Brussels I Regulation 2012

No unitary patent right 38 countries to litigate in 38 national laws apply to infringement and validity

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In the future

3 main options for patents •  "Traditional" EP, validated in countries of choice •  National patents •  EP with unitary effect, 25 EU member states: NEW IP RIGHT

+ option for traditional EP in remaining 13 countries

New litigation system •  Unified Patent Court (UPC)

•  Unitary patents •  Traditional European patents (not opted out/opted in again)

•  National courts •  Traditional European patents (opted out): 7 years transitional period •  National patents

Page 5 © Bird & Bird LLP 2014

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The Unitary Patent Package - Instruments

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•  Regulation n° 1257/2012 : enhanced cooperation on Unitary Patent Protection (UP Regulation)

•  Regulation n° 1260/2012: translation arrangements

EU Level

•  Agreement n° 2013/C 175/01 on a Unified Patent Court (UPA) •  Statute •  Rules of Procedure (16th draft)

Intergouvernementallevel

+ impact on Brussels I (Recast) & national laws

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The Unitary Patent Protection

Enhanced cooperation •  25 participating member states (PMS), excl. Croatia, Italy, Spain

Entry into force & application •  UP Regulation •  Entered into force on 31 December 2012 •  Shall apply from the date of entry into force of the UPA •  Exception: EP with unitary effect has unitary effect only in those PMS in

which the UPC has exclusive jurisdiction

Basis for EP with unitary effect •  Granted European patent (EPO) •  Patent with same set of claims in all PMS

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The Unitary Patent Protection

Non mandatory •  Unitary effect has to be registered in the register for unitary patent protection

at the EPO

•  Deadline for filing the request: 1 month of the date of the publication of the mention of the grant of the EPO

•  Date of effect is the date of publication by the EPO of the mention of the grant of the EP

Strategic considerations •  Decision can not be undone

•  No conversion possible

•  No costs for designation

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The Unified Patent Court

One single court for patent litigation in EU •  Infringement, validity, damages •  25 countries

ü  Poland still needs to decide, Spain/Italy will not join (for now)

Entry into force & application •  UPA •  Signed 19 February 2013 (Bulgaria 5 March) •  Entry into force 4 months after ratification by Big Three + 10 other

countries •  EU urged for start early 2014, now horizon is early 2015

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Structure of the UPC

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Court of First Instance

Central division

Paris (Electronics)

London (Life sciences)

Munich (Mechanical engineering)

Local divisions

max 4 per country

Regional divisions

Countries cooperating to form a division

Court of Appeal (Lux.)

Registry (Lux.)

Patent Mediation & Arbitration

Center

REVOCATION DECL. NON-INFR.

INFRINGEMENT PROV. MEASURES

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Exclusive competence of the UPC

•  Actions before the Unified Patent Court •  Actual or threatened infringement, incl. counterclaims re. licences •  Declaration of non-infringement •  Provisional and protective measures and injunctions

•  incl. saisie-description •  Revocation and declaration of invalidity •  Damages and compensation for use prior to grant •  Use prior to grant and rights based on prior use

•  Actions before national courts •  Entitlement of Unitary Patents and traditional European patents •  Licences •  All other actions: declaration of non-essentiality?

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Actions by the licencees – art. 47 UPA

Exclusive licensee •  Can bring infringement action before the UPC under the same

circumstances as the patentee •  Unless licence agreement provides otherwise •  Prior notice must be given

Non-exclusive licensee •  Only if agreement provides for it

•  Patentee may join the action •  Validity can only be contested if patentee participates •  Solution in Rule 25: registry serves counterclaim for revocation on

patentee

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Limited role of the CJEU

Problem: lack of knowledge of patent law and technology

Solution: limit the jurisdiction of the CJEU •  Provisions on infringement moved from UP Regulation to UPA (art. 25 – 30) •  Provisions on validity already in European Patent Convention

Remaining jurisdiction •  Unitary Patent Regulation: uniform protection (art. 5)

•  Exhaustion (art. 6), license declaration (art. 8) •  What if diverging national laws need to be applied?

•  Any EU-Regulation or Directive: SPC Regulations, Paediatric Extension Regulation, Biotech Directive, Brussels I Regulation, Enforcement Directive, Anti-Piracy Regulation, Bolar provision, Doha Regulation, Evidence Regulation, Service Regulation

•  EU Treaty, competition law, Tech Transfer Regulation?

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In the News

Perspectives

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Newsfeed

29 January Release of Interpretative Note on consequences of art. 83

6 March Publication of the 16th Draft of the Rules of Procedure dd. 31 January 2014

13 March Opening training centre for judges in Budapest

14 March Belgium: draft Bill on ratification of the UPC approved by the Senate

30 March List of potential candidate judges announced for early July

23 April Belgium: draft Bill adopted by the Belgian House of Representatives

Eagerly awaited Details on the costs (consider impact on costs of EP)

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Strategic issues

Broader opportunities

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Questions to be considered

•  What kind of patents will be available?

•  What effect will these patents have?

•  What is the applicable court system? Will all disputes need to be brought before the UPC?

•  What are the costs for obtaining/ maintaining/ enforcing/ attacking a patent?

•  What can already be done at this stage?

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Strategical decisions depend on the factual background and individual needs of the client

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What kind of patents will be available?

•  National patent(s)

•  UP

•  EP (e.g. DE, CH, NL, IT, ES, …)

•  UP plus EP (e.g. CH, NO, …)

•  Combination of National patents plus EP/UP

•  Parent UP/EP with a divisional of the same/different category ●  Nothing in the agreement or the regulation requires that a divisional application has

to have the same “type” than the parent application ●  Consequence: parent could be e.g. a EP with unitary effect (UPC compulsory) and

divisional could be a traditional EP (with possibility to opt out)

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Portfolio management Translation costs •  No cost for UP

Same type of patent for all inventions? •  Easy and straight-forward strategy •  Potentially most cost sensitive •  Not necessarily the ideal IP right for a particular case, considering both available

countries and strength of the invention

Decision for a specific patent type on a case by case basis? •  Optimal IP right for a particular case •  Potentially relatively costly since detailed analysis required

Generally same type of patent but different type if appropriate? •  Compromise between costs and optimal protection

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What effect will these patents have?

Effect of the European patent with unitary effect •  Uniform protection and equal effect in all participating member states (PMS)

•  Enforcement in every PMS, revocation for all PMS

•  Limitation, transfer, revocation or lapse only possible in respect to all PMS

•  Grant of a license is possible in respect of the whole or part of the territory of the PMS

Effect of a traditional EP •  Bundle of national patents

•  Enforcement/ revocation with respect to all designated states if not opted out; if opted out enforcement/revocation on national level

•  Limitation can be nationally (if existent) or before the EPO

•  Grant of a license is possible in respect of the whole or part of the territory of the designated states

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What effect will these patents have?

Effect of a National patent •  Effect only in the respective country

•  Limitation, transfer, revocation, lapse and grant of licence only with respect to this country

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National courts

What is the applicable court system?

National Patents

EP with unitary effect

Traditional EP

Unified Patent Court

Unified Patent Court or national courts during transitional regime Art. 83 UPA

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The Transitional Regime

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Transitional regime

For traditional EP only •  Not for EP with unitary effect

Art. 83 (1) •  Choice of forum for actions for infringement and/or revocation •  UPC or national courts

•  At least 7 years after entry into force of UPC Agreement

•  Extendable!

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Transitional regime

Art. 83(3) “Unless an action has already been brought before the Court, a proprietor of or an applicant for a European patent granted or applied for prior to the end of the transitional period (…) shall have the possibility to opt out from the exclusive competence of the Court (…). The opt-out shall take effect upon its entry into the register”

Art. 83(4)

“Unless an action has already been brought before a national court, proprietors of or applicants for European patents (…) who made use of the opt-out in accordance with paragraph (3) shall be entitled to withdraw their opt-out at any moment (…). The withdrawal of the opt-out shall take effect upon its entry into the register.”

Choice for already existing EP (applications)

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Opt-out

•  Derogation to the exclusive competence of the UPC •  EP can not be challenged + cannot be asserted before the UPC

•  Can only be made by patentee •  For all claims, all proprietors •  Sunrise period •  TRAP: no longer possible when proceedings have started before the

UPC •  Absolute effect: not limited to the duration of the UPC action •  Beware of action by licensee + attack from third parties!

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Opt-in

•  Withdrawal of an opt-out

•  TRAP: not possible if national procedure has started •  Even is national procedure started by the patentee •  Absolute effect

•  Cannot be undone •  No second opt-out after opt-in

•  Nuance: divisionals

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Summary on options for traditional EP

General rule •  If no opting-out: UPC proceedings ("small unitary patent") •  One decision on e.g. validity and infringement

•  If opting-out: traditional national system

•  First opting-out then opting-in is possible

Exceptions •  Opting-out not possible if UPC proceedings started

•  Opting-in (after opting out) not possible if national proceedings started

Adverse party

•  Decision whether or not to attack patent before patentee opted-out?

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Strategic issues

•  Choice of court

•  Why would you want to opt-out? For which patents?

•  Why would you opt-in?

•  Applicable law

•  Costs for opt-out: not more than an administrative fee

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Advice

•  Make an informed and positive choice ü  Avoid using art. 83 (1)

•  Case-by-case basis analysis ü  Avoid early opt-out for all patent portfolio

•  Beware of the consequences of each choice ü  Avoid traps

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Again: what kind of patents will be available?

Summary on potential types of patents

•  National patent(s)

•  UP

•  EP (e.g. DE, CH, NL, IT, ES, …)

•  EP (e.g. DE, CH, NL, IT, ES, …) opted out

•  UP plus EP (e.g. CH, NO, …)

•  Combination of National patents plus UP/EP (opted in/opted out)

•  Parent UP/EP (opted in/ opted out) with a divisional of the same/different category

•  (not to mention utility models in some countries)

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What can be already done?

•  Strategic think thank : prepare and anticipate the decisions

•  Conduct due diligences on patent and licences portfolio

•  Anticipate, tailor and diversify future filing strategies •  Consider drafting and filing divisionals

•  Anticipate possible actions by infringer or as claimant : be in the driver seat!

•  Review license agreements •  Limit rights for licensees to bring action •  Who has the right to opt-out? •  Choice of law •  Opportunity to also consider new TTBER!

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Examples for strategical options – as patentee

European patent with unitary effect •  Strong patent: no doubts on patentability

•  Patent protection required in all of Europe •  e.g. pharmaceutical compound

•  Advantage •  Injunction, including preliminary injunction possible for all of Europe; validity

confirmed for all of Europe

•  Disadvantage •  Some relevant countries are not covered, unless there are also EP designations or

contemporary a national patent or traditional divisional EP patent be filed

•  Alternatively •  If patentee has doubts on validity but does not wish to litigate the case in various

jurisdictions

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Examples for strategical options – as patentee

Traditional European patent – opting-out •  E.g. if patent is relevant for several jurisdictions, is of high economic value

but of uncertain validity and if patentee is willing to litigate in various jurisdictions

•  Advantage •  patent cannot be revoked for all of Europe in one decision

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Examples for strategical options – as patentee

Combination of parent and divisional application, one being a traditional EP with opt-out, the other a UP or EP without opt-out •  Double-shoot strategy, for very important products for which patent

protection in several countries is required and where the validity of the patent is unclear

National patents •  If patent is needed only in some jurisdictions

•  Example: patent relevant to a product which is developed for the entire European market and not differentiating between products for different countries

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Examples for strategical options – as adverse party

Example 1: grant of a strong EP (no good invalidity arguments) –patent is not opted out •  Unlikely that patentee would opt out, infringement proceedings before UPC

likely •  Filing of a protective letter

Example 2: granted traditional EP (not-opted out) is considered to be invalid

•  Starting revocation action with the UPC before patentee has opted out

Example 3: granted traditional EP (opted out) with uncertain validity •  Starting revocation action with a national court as soon as possible to avoid

opting in

•  Use of national courts with a less patentee-friendly history

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Conclusion

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Conclusion

Applicant/ Patentee has a lot more options for a filing/ enforcement strategy •  Different IP rights •  Different court systems •  Combination of options •  Full strategical evaluation requires information on costs

Adverse party has limited influence on the available options •  Use of protective letters •  Use of 3rd party observations •  For weak EP (not-opted out) start UPC proceedings as soon as possible to avoid opting

out •  For opted out EP with unclear validity start national proceedings as soon as possible to

avoid opting in

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Bird & Bird LLP is a limited liability partnership, registered in England and Wales with registered number OC340318 and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Its registered office and principal place of business is at 15 Fetter Lane, London EC4A 1JP. A list of members of Bird & Bird LLP and

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