United Kingdom notifies, pursuant to Article 1(3) of the Protocol on Litigation annexed to the agreement relating to Community Patents, of the designation of an additional court of first instance for England and Wales.
The court is the recently established Patents County Court located at the Edmonton County Court, Wood Green, London. Its special jurisdiction, conferred by the Lord Chancellor under Section 287 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, includes any patent matter of which the Patent Court has jurisdiction including any claims or matters ancillary to such proceedings, except for appeals from the decisions of the Comptroller of the Patent Office.
The procedure before the Patents County Court will be simpler than in the Patent Court, the intention being to reduce the cost of patent litigation and increase access to the courts particularly by small and medium enterprises.
The Instrument of Ratification deposited by the United Kingdom approves, accepts, confirms and ratifies the Agreement in respect of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man.