The Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre of the Unified Patent Court (PMAC) has launched a public consultation on its proposed Guidelines for dealing with FRAND disputes.
The Guidelines are intended to provide a non-binding and flexible framework of best practices for resolving FRAND disputes through mediation, arbitration, expert determination and hybrid procedures. The discussion paper addresses matters including the early definition of dispute, selection of neutrals, confidentiality, case management, patent portfolio valuation and evidence, parallel court proceedings, interim measures and available outcomes.
The initiative is particularly timing. FRAND disputes often combine complex legal, technical and economic questions with commercially sensitive information and parallel proceedings across several jurisdictions. A practical framework capable of accommodating those features could make ADR a more effective option in this field.
The PMAC is inviting SEP holders, implementers and other interested stakeholders to comment on the proposed structure and content of the Guidelines, including any issues that may have been omitted.
Comments may be submitted by 26 October 2026 to <contact-pmac@unifiedpatentcourt.org>. A further consultation will follow once the draft Guidelines have been developed.
The consultation paper and further details are available on the PMAC website.