The Law Society Gazette has reported here that Joe Egan, President of The Law Society (the representative body for solicitors in England and Wales) has today written to Sam Gyimah MP, the UK minister for intellectual property, urging the government to ratify the Unified Patent Court (UPC) Agreement by the end of next month before ‘transitional arrangements’ for Brexit are finalised.  Mr Egan noted in his letter that the issue was a concern both to the Law Society’s members who practise IP law and the companies they support, particularly as the life sciences and chemistry branch of the UPC is due to be in London, and that it was hoped that the UK and EU could clarify the legal basis on which the UK is able to stay in the UPC after Brexit.

As reported here, the Law Society sent a note in December 2017 to UK ministers and officials requesting government action in five key areas in relation to IP law and Brexit, one such area being the UPC and unitary patent.  That note was written or supported by office-holders of organisations representing the main UK IP professions and the IP Federation (which represents the views of UK industry in IP matters), and (as reported here) the IP Federation yesterday also wrote to Mr Gyimah, urging ratification of the UPC Agreement.