UPC: Milan Central Division finally operational

On 27 June 2024, one year after the UPC Administrative Committee’s official announcement, the Milan Central Division officially became operational.

The official inauguration ceremony, organised by the Milan Technical Table for the Unitary Patent, will be held on 1 July in the Aula Magna of the Milan Palace of Justice. Some top institutional figures will be attending the event, including Ministers Antonio Tajani and Carlo Nordio, the Presidents of the Court of Appeal and Court of Milan Giuseppe Ondei and Fabio Roia, the Mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala and the President of the UPC Court of Appeal Klaus Grabinski.

The new seat, which will flank the Paris and Munich Central Divisions operational as of June 2023, will oversee disputes relating to patents falling under category A of the International Patent Classification (IPC). This includes not only pharmaceutical patents, which are undoubtedly important, but also patents in the medical, agricultural, fashion, sports, veterinary and household goods sectors. This broad spectrum of expertise will offer Italy a unique opportunity to establish itself as a point of reference for patent litigation in several important industrial sectors.