Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for the UK patent sector after Britain’s withdrawal from the EU, in particular in the light of their decision to ratify the Unified Patent Court Agreement.

On 28 November, the Government confirmed its intention to continue with the process of ratifying the Unified Patent Court Agreement. The EU is not a party to that agreement and ratification should not be seen as pre-empting the UK's position in the forthcoming negotiations with the EU.

The options for the UK's intellectual property regime after EU exit, including the UK's future relationship with the Unified Patent Court, are being considered carefully.

The Government has engaged and will continue to engage with industry, intellectual property practitioners and other stakeholders to understand what leaving the EU means for all aspects of intellectual property, including patents and the Unified Patent Court.