08/01/2019 (Agence Europe) – “2018 has been a year of mixed highs and lows”, concluded the unified patent court in a statement last December, noting that Germany had still not ratified the agreement necessary for its implementation. Its ratification remains pending a decision of the German Constitutional Court, which is still pending. Contacted by EUROPE, the Court's services confirmed that no date was set for the decision, but that it should fall in the current year. As a reminder, Germany's ratification is necessary - alongside that of France and the United Kingdom - for the effective launch of the court, which was expected in early 2017 (see EUROPE 11677). (PH)