The training of judges for the UPC will commence in the first quarter of 2015.
Willem Hoyng, member of the Expert Panel of the UPC Preparatory Committee, informed Kluwer IP Law that a group of 26 ET judges (Eligible with Training) has been selected for the initial training course. However, this does not mean that they will also be appointed as judge after this training.
In September’s Roadmap of the UPC Preparatory Committee, it was still assumed that the first training would start before the end of December 2014.
Before initiating the course, the selected judges will have to show that their knowledge of English is sufficient.
The program will be organized by the EPO Academy and will take place in the training centre in Budapest. It will be followed up with further practical training at selected patent courts from the second quarter of 2015 onward.
The EPO Academy has been advised about the training program by a group of judges and experienced litigators (some of them also being patent law professors).
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