Rule 271 – Service of the Statement of claim

1. The Registry shall serve the Statement of claim by electronic means if the conditions referred to in Article 19 of the Regulation (EU) 2020/1784 are met (a) on the defendant at an electronic address which the defendant has provided for the purpose of service in the proceedings; or (b) on a representative of the defendant if the defendant has provided the electronic address of a representative pursuant to Rule 8.1 as an address at which the defendant may be served with the Statement of claim; or (c) on a representative of the defendant pursuant to Rule 8.1 if the representative has notified the Registry or the claimant that he accepts service of the Statement of claim on behalf of the defendant at an electronic address. 2. Where a representative pursuant to Rule 8.1 accepts service on behalf of a party service may be effected within the closed electronic system of the UPC Case Management System (CMS). 3. For the purpose of serving a Statement for revocation [Rule 44] or of serving a Statement for declaration of non-infringement [Rule 63], reference to representative under paragraph 2(b) or (c) shall additionally include professional representatives and legal practitioners as defined in Article 134 EPC who are recorded as the appointed representative for the patent, the subject of the proceedings, in the Register for unitary patent protection [Regulation (EU) No 1257/2012, Article 2(e)] or in the national patent register [Rule 8.5(a)]. 4. Where service by electronic means cannot be effected, the Registry shall serve the Statement of claim on the defendant by: (a) any other method foreseen by the law of the European Union on the service of documents in civil and commercial matters [Regulation (EU) 2020/1784], in particular by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt or equivalent [Article 18 Regulation (EU) 2020/1784]; or (b) where service in accordance with paragraph 4(a) could not be effected any method permitted by the law of the Member State of the European Union where service is to be effected or authorised by the Court under Rule 275. 5. Service under this Section shall be effected at the following place: (a) where the defendant is a company or other legal person, at its statutory seat, central administration or principal place of business within the Contracting Member States or at any place within the Contracting Member States where the company or other legal person has a permanent or temporary place of business; (b) where the defendant is an individual, at his usual or last known residence within the Contracting Member States; or (c) for the purpose of serving a Statement for revocation [Rule 44] or of serving a Statement for a declaration of non-infringement [Rule 63], at the place of business of a professional representative or legal practitioner as defined in Article 134 EPC who is recorded as the appointed representative for the patent, the subject of the proceedings, in the Register for unitary patent protection [Regulation (EU) No 1257/2012, Article 2(e)] or of the patent office of a Contracting Member State. 6. Subject to Rule 272.2 and .3, a Statement of claim served in accordance with paragraphs 1 to 5 is deemed to be served on the defendant: (a) where service takes place by means of electronic communication, on the day when the relevant electronic message was sent (GMT+1); (b) where service takes place by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt or equivalent such letter shall be deemed to be served on the addressee on the tenth day following posting unless it has failed to reach the addressee, has in fact reached him on a later date or the acknowledgement of receipt or equivalent has not been returned. Such service shall, except where paragraph 8 applies, be deemed effective even if acceptance of the letter has been refused. 7. The Registry shall advise the defendant that he may refuse to accept a Statement of Claim if it is not written or not accompanied by a translation into a language that he understands or that is an official language of the place where service is to be effected, by enclosing with the document to be served form L in Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2020/1784. 8. Where the defendant is entitled to refuse service and where he has notified the refusal to the Registry within two weeks of the attempted service together with an indication of the language(s) he understands, the Registry shall inform the claimant. The claimant shall provide to the Registry translations of at least the Statement of claim and the information required in Rule 13.1(a) to (p) in a language provided for by paragraph 7.