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Potential of the Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre (PMAC) of the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
Heinz Goddar1,Rebekka Porath2,Melanie Müller1,Peter Camesasca3
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DOI:10.17265/1548-6605/2025.07.003
1.University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany 2.Innovators Network, Korschenbroich, Germany 3.Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
The Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre (PMAC) has been established as an integral component of the new Unified Patent Court (UPC) system and is expected to become operational early this year. This article analyses the institutional framework, competence, procedural design, and enforcement mechanisms of the PMAC, situating it within the broader landscape of international patent dispute resolution and comparing it to established Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) institutions such as the World Intellectual Property Organization Arbitration and Mediation Center (WIPO AMC) and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). Particular attention is given to the PMAC’s potential role in resolving Standard Essential Patent (SEP)/FRAND disputes following the withdrawal of the European Commission’s proposed SEP Regulation. While the voluntary and confidential nature of PMAC proceedings cannot replicate the transparency and mandatory mechanisms envisaged by the Regulation, the Centre may nevertheless emerge as a meaningful complementary forum—especially if the UPC actively encourages mediation and arbitration in appropriate cases. Finally, the article examines the implications of the CJEU (Court of Justice of the European Union)’s BSH/Electrolux decision for cross-border enforcement and assesses whether the PMAC could evolve into a structured venue for resolving multinational patent disputes. The analysis concludes that, if applied pragmatically, the PMAC has the potential to become a central pillar of ADR.
Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre (PMAC), Unified Patent Court (UPC), Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), SEP/FRAND disputes, Cross-border patent enforcement, BSH/Electrolux
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