Professor Sir Robin Jacob re-elected as President of the Intellectual Property Judges Association

Professor Sir Robin Jacob, Sir Hugh Laddie Professor of Intellectual Property Law at UCL Laws, attended the recent European Judges’ Forum in Venice, organised by the European Patent Office (EPO) and European Patent Law Association (EPLAW). The Forum is a high-level conference for Europe’s most experienced patent judges and lawyers, and provides the opportunity to discuss the most recent developments in European patent law and court procedural practice, with the aim of advancing harmonisation of patent law and practice in Europe.

This year, the Forum focused specifically on the new Unitary Patent and Unified Patent Court (UPC), which will finally open its doors in early 2023. During the conference, Professor Sir Robin Jacob, Director of the UCL Institute of Brand and Innovation Law, was re-elected as the President of the Intellectual Property Judges Association (the association of European patent judges) for the forthcoming year, having held the position since 2016. Sir Robin chaired the Advisory Panel on the Selection and Training of Judges for the UPC until the government withdrew from the UK from the project.

The Unitary Patent and UPC is the subject of a forthcoming IBIL conference featuring a Patent Judges’ Panel. Speakers including UCL Laws Honorary Professors, Sir Christopher Floyd – a former Lord Justice of Appeal and external member of the Enlarged Board of Appeal of the European Patent Office, and Dr Peter Meier-Beck – former Presiding Judge of the Patent Division of the Bundesgerichtshof (German Supreme Court).