Just days after the announcement of a gender equality referendum in Ireland, which will be held in November, representatives of Irish industry urged the government to hold a referendum on ratification of the Unified Patent Court Agreement on the same date. However, it seems likely this will not take place before the start of next year.
The Irish Business and Employers Confederation (IBEC) and the Association of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys (APTMA) called for the UPCA referendum in an report published on 14 March 2023. Ireland is legally required to hold a referendum to ratify the UPCA.
‘Tríona Walshe, Chair of the UPC Committee of APTMA, outlined: “We urge Government to hold the necessary referendum this November to ensure that Irish businesses have the same strategic competitive advantage available under the new UPC system as those businesses in European countries which are already part of the new UPC system. We welcomed the support of Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment for ‘expediting the timing of the referendum on this important issue’, which would provide the necessary certainty and for preparatory plans to be put in place. Read more