On 27th September 2017, the (Swiss) Federal Assembly renewed the judges at the Federal Patent Court. Court of First Instance of the Confederation in terms of patents, the Federal Patent Court tries civil patent disputes. It decides on validity and counterfeit matters, among others.
The Federal Patent Court comprises two ordinary judges as well as 40 deputy judges of a technical or legal background. They are elected for a period of six years by the Federal Assembly and have proven skills in patent law, while ensuring a fair representation in the technical fields and of the official languages. Cases are handled by commissions of three, five or seven judges, amongst which there are always judges of a legal background and judges of a technical background.
At this election, the Federal Assembly renewed the Federal Patent Court in its entirety and appointed five new members. It moreover reelected Christophe Saam and Giovanni Gervasio as judges of a technical background by 196 votes out of a total of 207 valid ballots. The confirmation of two judges from P&TS at the Federal Patent Court attests to the high level of expertise of the firm in terms of patent litigation.
