Rechterlijke macht

Nog even een bericht van eind vorige week: "Senior judges campaigning to secure a European patent court have won their first major victory by forcing the European Commission (EC) to drop its outright opposition to the proposals. In a highly significant move, the EC has agreed to consult on the plans, which are backed by an array of top European intellectual property (IP) judges including Lord Hoffmann and Lord Justice Jacob.

Questionnaires have been sent out by the EC to a wide range of IP practitioners and organisations across Europe, calling for feedback on the blueprint, dubbed the European Patent Litigation Agreement (EPLA). A spokesman for the EC said: "The consultation is not hinting at one direction or another, but we have recognised that the world has moved on since 1997 when the [EC’s] proposal was made." Lees hier meer (Legal Week).