MUNICH LOCAL DIVISION Trends and Developments Contributed by: Julia Traumann and Ulrich Blumenröder, Grünecker Patent- und Rechtsanwälte PartG mbB
Grünecker Patent- und Rechtsanwälte PartG mbB Leopoldstr 4 80802 Munich Germany Tel: +49 8921 2350 Fax: +49 8922 0287 Email: blumenroeder@grunecker.de Web: www.grunecker.de
Introductory Remarks The launch of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) and the introduction of the European patent with unitary effect (unitary patent), both on 1 June 2023, marked not only a historic milestone in European intellectual property law, but also a major milestone in an effort that began over 60 years ago. The Local Division Munich has rapidly become one of the most active and strategically important divisions of the UPC, having the high - est caseload and shaping early UPC case law through several notable decisions. Below is a structured overview of key trends and develop - ments, as well as of open legal questions that the Local Division Munich has either already dealt with or is expected to deal with in the near future. Naturally, this cannot be a comprehensive overview. It must, on the one hand, leave aside some important issues that the Local Division Munich has not (yet) dealt with (eg, infringement by equivalence), yet it must also, on the other hand, look at the overall UPC picture by making reference to decisions of other (local and region - al) divisions and the court of appeal. Case Load and Expansion of Judicial Resources The Local Division Munich has maintained a high volume of patent disputes (almost 35% of
infringement actions as of 1 April 2025), par - ticularly in sectors such as telecommunications, automotive technologies and life sciences. In response to the high caseload, the Local Divi - sion Munich established a second panel on 1 June 2024. Judges of the Local Division Munich The first panel is chaired by Presiding Judge Dr Matthias Zigann. He is joined by Judge Tobias Pichlmaier, who also became a full-time UPC judge, and one additional legally qualified judge. Both Judge Zigann and Judge Pichlmaier are well-known patent judges with extensive expe - rience from their previous judicial work at the Munich courts. The second panel is presided over by Judge Ulrike Voß, who concurrently holds the position of Presiding Judge at the Munich Central Divi - sion, making her the only UPC judge with two presiding judge positions at the UPC. Joining her on the second panel is Judge Dr Daniel Voß; despite sharing a surname, they are not related. Before her transition to the UPC, Judge Ulrike Voß was Presiding Judge of a patent senate at the Court of Appeals Düsseldorf. Judge Dr Dan - iel Voß was, and continues to be on a part-time
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