UPC: Start of Sunrise Period postponed to March 1, 2023

Entry into force of Sunrise Period as of March 1, 2023 and EPC as of June 1, 2023

Deviating from the previous timetable, which foresaw the start of the Sunrise Period at the beginning of the new year, the Unified Patent Court announces a postponement of two months. The Sunrise Period will thus start on March 1, 2023, followed by the entry into force of the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court (UPCA) on June 1, 2023.

The reason given for this measure is the larger time frame in which users are encouraged to equip themselves with client authentication as well as a qualified electronic signature. Strong authentication will be essential for accessing the Unified Patent Court’s Case Management System (CMS) and signing documents in the future.

You can access the announcement of the Unified Patent Court online here.