Since the passage of a key treaty in 2013, Europe has continually inched closer toward a common patent system through the establishment of the Unified Patent Court (UPC), which will provide a single forum for patent disputes across 25 member states of the European Union (EU). The arrival of the UPC will also bring the availability of unitary patents, formally known as European patents with unitary effect, which will be effective in member states without the need to file for national equivalents in each country. However, the ratification of the UPC agreement has been held up in Germany by a constitutional challenge, while “Brexit” has also complicated the issue of ratification in the UK.