The government appointed Mr Justice Geoffrey Valencia to serve on preparatory committee for a Unified Patent Court, Parliamentary Secretary for Justice Owen Bonnici announced in parliament this evening.

Parliament today discussed the ratification of an agreement on the Unified Patent Court (UPC).

The Court would hear cases regarding infringement revocation proceedings of European patents valid in the territories of the participating Member States. 

The Court is to be established by the agreement on a Unified Patent Court.

The Preparatory Committee will exist until the Court is established. 

The Preparatory Committee's function is to oversee the various work streams. 

On 19 February, 2012 an agreement was signed related to the UPC by the majority of EU Member States except Croatia, which joined the EU after the agreement was signed, Poland, and Spain, whose agreement is to come into effect once the treaty is ratified by the countries which signed the agreement, including France, Germany and the UK.

PN MP Jason Azzopardi said that he had signed the ratification on behalf of a PN-led government.

He said that Europe has been trying to reach an agreement for a long time, around 40 years, for a Unified Patent Court.

He said that to register a patent in the US it costs one fifth of the costs to register it in Europe, leading to the US to excel while Europe would fall back as a result.

Finally, in 2012 an agreement was reached to set up a European Patent Office and a Patent Court, Dr Azzopardi said.

“As things stand, each country’s court has different rules related to patent cases filed; now, through a unified patent court this would change, enhancing economic growth in Europe as a result,” Dr Azzopardi said.

“We will see a quantum leap in terms of intellectual property rights,” he said, adding that this gives an incentive for companies to register patents in Europe.

Dr Bonnici meanwhile thanked the Opposition for voting in favour of the resolution.