The Palácio da Justiça (Palace of Justice) in Lisbon, Portugal.

Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre

of the Unified Patent Court

The PMAC is an integral part of the Unified Patent Court, with its governance and finances embedded within the UPC’s overall structure. 

Based in Ljubljana and Lisbon, PMAC gives patent holders, from multinational corporations to SMEs and individual inventors, a faster, more flexible, and often more cost effective route to resolving disputes than traditional litigation.

PMAC offers a full suite of ADR services: Mediation, Arbitration (in autumn 2026), and Expert Determination. An early neutral evaluation service is expected to launch in 2027. PMAC accepts cases referred by the UPC, national courts, patent offices, or by agreement between the parties. The Centre also maintains unique rules tailored to SEP/FRAND disputes, making it an attractive global forum for complex, cross border patent cases.

PMAC handles disputes relating to European patents, European patents with unitary effect, supplementary protection certificates, and related disputes.

To help parties choose the right path, PMAC provides an ADR Information Session, model dispute resolution clauses, a clause generator, and practical tools such as forms and checklists, with cases managed through PMAC's own Case Management System (CCMS). Parties can draw on a roster of over 400 qualified neutrals: arbitrators, mediators, and experts, supporting efficient, enforceable resolutions to patent disputes for businesses of every size worldwide.

Neutrals

Fees will be published in due course

Rules & other legal documents

Services

ADR Information Session

A practical first step towards identifying the most suitable ADR procedure. The ADR Information Session is designed to provide parties with clear, structured information about the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) options available through PMAC.

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Arbitration

PMAC offers confidential, expert-led arbitration for complex patent disputes, providing efficient, cost-effective, and enforceable resolutions for domestic and international cases.

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Mediation

Mediation is a voluntary, confidential, non-binding process that helps parties collaboratively resolve disputes with a neutral mediator. PMAC specializes in patent-related mediation, providing a flexible, structured framework that promotes constructive dialogue, preserves business relationships, and delivers efficient, cost-effective resolutions.

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Expert Determination

Expert determination is a flexible and efficient dispute resolution process tailored for cases requiring specialized technical knowledge. Under this method, parties voluntarily agree to submit their dispute to an impartial expert who provides a reasoned determination based on their expertise.

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Hybrid Med-Arb procedure

A Hybrid Med-Arb process begins with mediation to seek a mutually acceptable settlement. If issues remain unresolved, it shifts to arbitration for a binding decision on those specific points. Parties pre-agree on the process and the neutral’s role, ensuring confidentiality, consent, and a seamless transition to final resolution.

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SEPs/FRAND Disputes

The PMAC’s unique FRAND rules make it an appealing global forum for complex, cross-border SEP/FRAND disputes, helping parties clearly define the scope of issues for ADR.

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Neutrals

The first application round for the list of Mediators, Arbitrators and Experts at the Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre of the Unified Patent Court closed on 10 October 2025; however, a new round is expected to open soon.

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News

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Locations

The Palácio da Justiça (Palace of Justice) in Lisbon, Portugal.

Lisbon
PMAC Location Ljubljana

Ljubljana

Statistics

87

Sole and Emergency Arbitrators

75

Experts

79

Associated Mediators

156

Members of the Arbitral Tribunal

114

Mediators