The UPC Preparatory Committee has announced today (here) that an oral hearing on the 17th draft of the Rules of Procedure will take place on 26 November 2014 at the European Law Academy (ERA) in Trier from 9:00 to 18:00.  Attendance at the hearing is by invitation only, but it is planned that anyone may follow the hearing on ERA’s website:  www.era.int. It is understood that invitations to attend the hearing are being sent to more than 70 organisations who participated in the written consultation, and also to a group of experienced patent judges.

Philip Westmacott