UPC to collaborate with the EPO on developments of Case Management System

The UPC has announced, today, that they will cooperate with the EPO on IT related matters. The first project will be the development of a Case Management System (CMS) for the court.

The creation of the UPC had been eagerly anticipated for many years and its first year of operation suggests that the court is en route to becoming a much trusted and relied upon part of the European patent system. One concern we experienced/that has been regularly reported is that the existing CMS is difficult to use and can be misleading. This problem seems to be appreciated by the UPC, with judge rapporteurs in early orders exercising their discretion in allowing (according to the Rules of Procedure on a strict interpretation) late correction of document submissions and discretionary (if sparing) extensions to avoid parties being disadvantaged because of teething problems with the CMS. Today’s announcement to cooperate with the EPO is welcome news indeed.