The UPC Preparatory Committee has established an “Expert Panel”, which will advise the Committee’s Chairman and Working Group co-ordinators.  The Expert Panel will hold its first meeting on 26 September 2014 in London, when one item it is expected to cover is the critical path of the Committee’s work programme.

Other key meetings scheduled are those of Preparatory Committee’s Rules of Procedure Working Group on 25/25 September and the EPO Select Committee on the Unitary patent on 28 October.  The Preparatory Committee’s next meeting  is likely to be in early November, and in late November the hearing of user organisations on the draft Rules of Procedure is expected.  Meanwhile, the process for selection and training of judges continues, with all those expressing interest due to be notified of the “pre-selection assessment” decision of the Preparatory Committee by 8 September (many applicants have already been notified), following which the Committee will agree the training framework.