We are witnessing the biggest revolution in European patent law since its beginnings. Around 2022/2023, you will be able to obtain protection of your invention in 17 EU countries with a single European patent. An inseparable part of this system is the Unified Patent Court (UPC), which is now being established as the first international court in the history of the world which will have jurisdiction to settle disputes between private law entities.
The introduction of a unitary patent system presents new opportunities and prospects for patentees, but also real business risks. This is because the “rules of the game” that have applied so far in patent litigation are changing. There is therefore a need for a fresh look at business strategies in this area, both from the point of view of choosing a European patent protection system (a “classic patent” or one with unitary effect) and avoiding the risks associated with infringement.
The unitary effect of a European patent means that, in the event of a dispute, the patentees can lose protection for their invention in a number of countries at any one time. For potential infringers of such a patent, on the other hand, losing a legal battle before UPC could lead to the loss of several markets for the product at issue.
Although Poland has not yet joined the unitary patent protection system, Polish entities may still choose to protect their inventions in this system and also participate in disputes before the UPC. How to prepare for the patent revolution is something worth looking into right now.
You are invited to hear experts’ views and join discussions at the conference: Ready or not? Polish and European challenges in light of the upcoming Unified Patent Court (UPC).
09:00 – 09:30 Opening of the conference / Dorota Rzążewska
Introduction to the conference and presentation of the invited speakers / Tomasz Gawliczek PhD, Piotr Godlewski
ACADEMIC PANEL:UPC from the perspective of international, European and Polish law – where are we now and where are we going to? / Moderator: Tomasz Gawliczek, PhD
09:30 – 9:45 Legal milestones towards the UPC / Tamar Khuchua, PhD
09:45 – 10:00 Legal uncertainties over the status of the Unified Patent Court / Prof. Manuel Desantes Real
10:00 – 10:15 Better in than out: the EU magnet effect of the UPC / Prof. Laurent Manderieux
10:15 – 10:30 Fixing the Unitary Patent Package or developing some alternative? / Luc Desaunettes, Prof. Alain Strowel
10:30 – 10:45 Break
10:45 – 11:00 The Role of European Patent Attorneys Before the UPC / Leythem Wall
11:00 – 11:15 UPC for SMEs: Beneficial or not? / Krista Rantasaari, PhD
11:15 – 11:30 Jurisdiction of the Unified Patent Court in supplementary protection certificate (SPC) matters / Justyna Ożegalska-Trybalska, PhD, DsC
11:30 – 11:45 What needs to be done before the start of the UP/UPC system? / Bart van Wezenbeek
11:45-12:00 Break
12:00 – 12:15 What is the problem in European Patent litigation that the UPC seeks to solve?/ Luke McDonagh, PhD
12:15 – 12:30 Opt-outing or not from the UPC in Poland and elsewhere: elements to consider / Pieter Callens
12:30 – 12:45 Poland’s road to UPC – can you exit the EU highway without losing economic speed?/ Tomasz Gawliczek, PhD
12.45-13.45 Lunch break
13:45 – 14:15 Panel discussion on anticipated benefits and challenges of launching and operating the Unified Patent Court in Europe
14:15 – 14:30 Break
BUSINESS PANEL:Entrepreneurs and scientific institutions in light of the forthcoming revolution in patent law / Moderator: Piotr Godlewski
14:30 – 16:00 Panel discussion with invited experts
/ Zuzanna Kowalkiewicz, PhD, Krzysztof Maternicki, Tomasz Poczęsny, Justyna Rechnio, Agata Sobol, Grzegorz Wesela-Bauman, PhD
16:00 – 16:30 Q&A – session
16:30 – 17:00 Closing of the conference and networking
Managing Partner, Attorney at Law, European Patent & Trademark Attorney, Arbitrator for Internet Domains .pl & .eu , IP Mediator, JWP Patent & Trademark Attorneys
Patent attorney, Attorney-at-law, EPLIT member, JWP Patent & Trademark Attorneys
Polish and European patent attorney, partner, EPLIT member, JWP Patent & Trademark Attorneys
Patent attorney, attorney-at-law, EPLIT member, JWP Patent & Trademark Attorneys
Postdoctoral Research Fellow at L’Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris (Science Po Paris)
University of Alicante, Of Counsel at ELZABURU
Bocconi University (Milan), Chair of the European IP Teachers' Network (EIPTN)
UCLouvain and Saint-Louis University (Brussels)
UCLouvain and Saint-Louis University (Brussels)
Chair of the European Patent Litigators Association (EPLIT)
Post-doctoral Research Fellow at Tampere University
The Intellectual Property Law Chair of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow.
Institute of Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office (epi)
Assistant Professor of Law at The London School of Economics and Political Science
Partner at Eubelius (Belgium)
Patent attorney, attorney-at-law, EPLIT member, JWP Patent & Trademark Attorneys
Polish and European patent attorney, partner, EPLIT member, JWP Patent & Trademark Attorneys
Lead specialist for commercialisation and intellectual property, patent attorney, Łukasiewicz Research Network
The Polish Association of Centers for Technology Transfer (PACTT.pl)
Director of the Intellectual Property Protection Unit, Warsaw University of Technology
National and European Patent Attorney. Head of the Patent Team of Zakłady Farmaceutyczne Polpharma S.A.
Partner, Franzosi Dal Negro Setti (Milano)
European and Polish Patent Attorney, GE Power