Lawyers wanting to become judges at the Unified Patent Court can now formally apply – the deadline ends 15 November 2013. Judges will be appointed for a six year term; the exact number of judges to be appointed is still open.

Candidates wanting to apply have to fulfil the following criteria:

  1. A candidate must be a national of a Contracting Member State,
  2. A candidate must have good command of at least one of official language of the EPO (English, German of French),
  3. A candidate must be able to ensure the highest standards of competence and shall have proven experience in the field of patent litigation.

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