The date for the start of operations of the Unified Patent Court has now been finally set as Germany ratified the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court (“UPC Agreement”) on 17 February 2023. This was the final ratification required in order for the unitary patent system to enter into force in its entirety. Now altogether 17 EU member states have ratified the UPC Agreement. The Unified Patent Court is expected to start operations on 1 June 2023 when the UPC Agreement enters into force.The unitary patent system will enter into force at the same time.
15.3.2023
The Unified Patent Court will start operations on 1 June 2023
Sakari Salonen, Hanna Paloheimo & Piia Raappana
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Towards a unified European patent system
The Unified Patent Court will be the patent court common to all EU member states that have ratified the UPC Agreement. The Unified Patent Court will have exclusive jurisdiction over unitary patents, European patents, supplementary protection certificates of European patents and European patent applications, unless the opt-out mechanism described below is used. The Unified Patent Court will not have any jurisdiction over national patents or supplementary protection certificates granted to national patents. In Finland, the Market Court will still have jurisdiction over national Finnish patents and supplementary protection certificates granted for national Finnish patents in the future as well.
The unitary patent is a new, supranational option for patent protection in Europe. Currently, a European patent must be validated separately in each contracting state where patent protection is desired. This means in practice that a patent holder has a bundle of national patents. A unitary patent will only consist of a one single patent providing patent protection in the EU member states that have ratified the UPC Agreement.
Opt-out possibility began on 1 March 2023
All European patents, supplementary protection certificates of European patents and European patent applications will be transferred under jurisdiction of the Unified Patent Court in the beginning of June, unless they are specifically excluded from the Unified Patent Court’s jurisdiction by using the opt-out mechanism. It is possible to use the opt-out even before the UPC Agreement enters into force during the three-month sunrise period which started on 1 March 2023.
After the sunrise period, opt-out is possible during the seven-year transitional period. However, an opt-out can only be used ifno action has already been brought before the Unified Patent Court with respect to the European patent in question. It is highly recommended that companies start reviewing their patent portfolios now at the latest in order to exclude their patents from the Unified Patent Court’s jurisdiction during the sunrise period if considered necessary.
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VR Group – Intellectual property matters
VR-Group Plc is a transport and logistics group owned by the Finnish State, operating passenger and freight rail transport in Finland with activities also in the Swedish market. VR Group provides passenger, logistics and maintenance services with over 160 years’ experience in developing responsible transport of the future. We advise VR Group in intellectual property matters as part of the company’s wider brand protection efforts. Our assignments have included advice on copyright, design rights and trademarks, focusing on the protection of the company’s visual identity – including its distinctive green colour – in connection with transport services as part of a comprehensive IP protection strategy. VR Group’s consistent brand building has also received recognition, including the Finland Chamber of Commerce’s Brand of the Year award in 2026. In the competition, brands were viewed comprehensively from various perspectives, including their story, strategic role, brand renewal ability and intellectual property protection. The jury found that VR had understood the importance of the protection of its brand as part of a comprehensive business strategy.
Case published 9.9.2026
Anora Group – Global Brand Portfolio Management and IP Enforcement
We are advising Anora Group in brand protection and intellectual property enforcement matters globally. Our IP team manages Anora Group’s global trademark and design portfolio, including registration, prosecution, opposition and enforcement. We also advise Anora Group in questions concerning marketing law, social media, domain names and cybersquatting. Anora Group Plc is a publicly listed company. It was born in 2021 through the merger of the Finnish Altia Oyj and the Norwegian Arcus ASA. Anora Group is a leading wine and spirits brand house in the Nordic Region and a global industry forerunner in sustainability. Anora Group has a large portfolio of iconic brands such as Koskenkorva, Linie, Larsen, Skagerrak, Chill Out, Ruby Zin, Wongraven, O.P. Anderson and Falling Feather. Its key brands are exported to over 30 markets globally.
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Sinituote – Protection and Enforcement of Brands and Designs
We are assisting Sinituote in the protection and enforcement of its trademarks and designs and in issues related to the management of its IP portfolio. Under the SINI brand, Sinituote markets and sells cleaning tools and products. SINI products are among the most popular ones in their product category in Finland. Kungs is the leading Nordic brand for automobile care. It includes winter products such as snow brushes and ice scrapers that are designed and tested to suit the extreme Finnish winter conditions. One of Sinituote’s most legendary products is the Sinipiika mop that was developed in the 1950s and is still in production today. In addition to SINI and Kungs, the Sinituote brands also include Savu, Lundia, Rörets and VS-Harja. The products are designed and mostly also manufactured in Finland. Sinituote has its own factory in the small town of Kokemäki in southwestern Finland. The group’s R&D focuses not only on the high quality of the products but also their ergonomics, environmental friendliness and design. Sinituote makes considerable investments in R&D and design and also actively protects and enforces its trademarks and designs.
Case published 22.1.2026
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