The Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre (“<span class="news-text_medium">PMAC</span>”) of the Unified Patent Court (“<span class="news-text_medium">UPC</span>”) will formally open in Ljubljana on 2 June 2026. Established under Article 35 of the <span class="news-text_italic-underline">Unified Patent Court Agreement</span> (“<span class="news-text_medium">UPCA</span>”), the PMAC is an independent, specialist alternative dispute resolution institution offering mediation, arbitration and expert determination services for patent disputes. Following an extensive public consultation process, the PMAC's <span class="news-text_italic-underline">Arbitration, Mediation and Expert Determination Rules </span>(“<span class="news-text_medium">PMAC Rules</span>”), including the <span class="news-text_italic-underline">Arbitration Rules of the Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre</span> (“<span class="news-text_medium">Arbitration Rules</span>”), have been formally adopted by the UPC Administrative Committee.
The formal adoption of the PMAC Rules and the imminent inauguration of the Centre mark a decisive turning point for patent dispute resolution in Europe and beyond. For the first time, parties to disputes arising from European patents, unitary patents or related rights will have access to a dedicated, specialist ADR institution purpose-built for the patent ecosystem. Crucially, the PMAC is available both independently of and in parallel with UPC litigation, affording parties considerable flexibility in how they manage their disputes.
The Arbitration Rules are modern and comprehensive, incorporating all the provisions one would expect from a leading global arbitration institution, whilst being carefully tailored to the UPC framework. Notable features include an express confidentiality provision, emergency arbitration, an expedited procedure, detailed provisions on interim relief, including the possibility of obtaining <span class="news-text_italic-underline">ex parte</span> relief and a structured document production process.
