Editing Unitary patent (section)

====Parties====
The UPC Agreement was signed on 19 February 2013 by 24 EU member states, including all states then participating in the enhanced co-operation measures except [[Bulgaria]] and [[Poland]].<ref name="SIGN">{{cite web|url=http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/intm/135593.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130324021019/http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/intm/135593.pdf |archive-date=2013-03-24 |url-status=live|title=Signing of the Unified Patent Court agreement|date=19 February 2013|access-date=19 February 2013|publisher=[[Council of the European Union]]}}</ref> Bulgaria signed the agreement on 5 March 2013 following internal administrative procedures. Italy, which did not originally join the enhanced co-operation measures but subsequently signed up, did sign the UPC agreement.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/indprop/patent/ratification/index_en.htm|title=Unitary patent – ratification progress|access-date=19 February 2013|publisher=[[European Commission]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130227081005/http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/indprop/patent/ratification/index_en.htm|archive-date=27 February 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> The agreement remains open to accession for all remaining EU member states,<ref>{{cite press release|title=Single European Patent: a major achievement but still some way to go|url=http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-13-132_en.htm?locale=en|work=European Commission|date=18 February 2013|access-date=18 February 2013}}</ref> with all European Union Member States except Spain and Poland having signed the Agreement.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldipreview.com/news/will-poland-join-the-unitary-patent-system|title=Will Poland join the Unitary Patent system?|date=5 February 2013|access-date=9 February 2013|publisher=[[World Intellectual Property Review]]}}</ref> States which do not participate in the unitary patent regulations can still become parties to the UPC agreement, which would allow the new court to handle European patents validated in the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/imported/countries-to-sign-up-to-unitary-patent-system-/76422.aspx|title=Countries to sign up to unitary patent system|last=Wishart|first=Ian|date=14 February 2013|access-date=19 February 2013}}</ref>

On 18 January 2019, Kluwer Patent Blog wrote, "a recurring theme for some years has been that 'the UPC will start next year'". Then, Brexit and German constitutional court complaint were considered as the main obstacles. The German constitutional court first decided in a decision of 13 February 2020 against the German ratification of the Agreement on the ground that the German Parliament did not vote with the required majority (2/3 according to the judgement). After a second vote and further, this time unsuccessful, constitutional complaints, Germany formally ratified the UPC Agreement on 7 August 2021. While the UK ratified the agreement in April 2018, the UK later withdrew from the Agreement following Brexit.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=UK Withdrawal from the UPCA {{!}} Unified Patent Court |url=https://www.unified-patent-court.org/news/uk-withdrawal-upca |access-date=2022-02-21 |website=www.unified-patent-court.org |archive-date=21 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220221182056/https://www.unified-patent-court.org/news/uk-withdrawal-upca |url-status=dead }}</ref>

As of the entry into force of the UPC on 1 June 2023, 17 countries had ratified the Agreement.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Agreement|url=https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/documents-publications/treaties-agreements/agreement/|access-date=2022-02-21|website=www.consilium.europa.eu|language=en|archive-date=11 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111200001/https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/documents-publications/treaties-agreements/agreement/|url-status=dead}}</ref>  Romania ratified the agreement in May 2024, and will join as the 18th participating member on 1 September 2024.