EPLIT (European Patent Litigators Association) is the association for European Patent Attorneys who may act before the Unified Patent Court (UPC), national courts and in inter partes proceedings at the European Patent Office (EPO). Most of EPLIT’s members meet the requirements to qualify as representatives before the UPC. Other legal practitioners, such as attorneys-at-law or nationally qualified patent attorneys, are also among EPLIT’s membership.
Our objectives
1Promoting the participation and standing of European Patent Attorneys in the UPC system, national courts and EPO inter partes proceedings.
2Promoting user-friendly, fair, efficient and cost-effective patent litigation in Europe, including advocacy, particularly before the UPC and national courts, as well as EPO inter partes proceedings.
3Improving information exchange and relationships between our members
4Establishing and maintaining relations with official or private national and international IP organizations
Our achievements
We have
- organized mock trials under the rules of the UPC with experienced patent judges
- corresponded with the government of the UK encouraging it to ratify the UPC Agreement
- corresponded with EU authorities and EU member states with the aim to find a solution for the UK to remain within the UPC Agreement
- proposed a draft Code of Conduct for representatives before the UPC in cooperation with epi and EPLAW
- filed a submission before the German Federal Constitutional Court regarding the pending complaint on compatibility of the UPC with the German constitution
- participated in the consultation and hearing on the revision of the Rules of Procedure of the Boards of Appeal of the EPO
Annual meetings
We organize annual meetings with high-level presentations relating to the UPC and national litigation practices in major cities across Europe, such as Paris, Amsterdam, Milan, and Vienna.
The Board
- Henri Bourgeois (FR) – President
- Kay Rupprecht (DE) – Secretary
- Daniël Alge (AT)
- Giuseppe Colucci (IT)
- Christian Köster (DE)
- Bernard Ledeboer (NL)
- Lucy Samuels (UK)
- Stephanie Sarlet (BE)
- Guno Tjon (NL)
Former Board members
- Rainer Beetz LL.M. (AT)
- Koen Bijvank LL.M. (NL)
- Brigitte Böhm (DE)
- Ole Bokinge (SE)
- Kim Finnilä (FI)
- Marel Lazewski (PL)
- Chris Mercer (UK)
- Alain Michelet (FR)
- Micaela Modiano (IT)
- Eugen Popp (DE)
- Ferenc Török (HU)
- Patrice Vidon (FR)
- Leythem Wall (UK)
Working groups
Members of EPLIT are active in one or more Working Groups. Currently, EPLIT has seven Working Groups:
- Substantive Law
- Qualification
- Cost of Procedure
- Code of Conduct
- Privilege
- Education and Training
- Procedural Law