A patent court is a

court A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in acco ...

specializing in

patent law A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention."A p ...

, or having substantially exclusive

jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United States, areas of jurisdiction apply to local, state, and federal levels. J ...

over patent law issues. In some systems, such courts also have jurisdiction over other areas of

intellectual property law Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property, and some countries recognize more than others. The best-known types are patents, cop ...

, such as

copyright A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time. The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, educatio ...

and

trademark A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from othe ...

By jurisdiction

European Union

Unified Patent Court The Unified Patent Court (UPC) is a common patent court open for participation of member states of the European Union, and created by the "Agreement on a Unified Patent Court" (UPC Agreement or UPCA), which is provisionally applicable since 19 ...

, a planned court for patent litigation in the European Union

Germany

Federal Patent Court of Germany The Federal Patent Court (german: Bundespatentgericht, abbreviation: ''BPatG'') is a German federal court competent for particular legal matters, such as patent and trademark cases. It has its seat in Munich, Germany, and was established on July 1 ...

(German: ''Bundespatentgericht'' or BPatG)

Japan

Intellectual Property High Court The Intellectual Property High Court (, ''Chiteki-zaisan kōtō-saiban-sho''), sometimes abbreviated IPHC, is a special branch of Tokyo High Court in the judicial system of Japan. It is based in Kasumigaseki, a district in Chiyoda Ward in Tokyo, ...

Switzerland

Federal Patent Court of Switzerland The Swiss Federal Patent Court (German: ''Bundespatentgericht'', French: ''Tribunal fédéral des brevets'') is a Swiss federal court competent for particular legal matters, such as patent cases. It has its seat in Sankt Gallen, Switzerland. ...

United Kingdom

England and Wales

Intellectual Property Enterprise Court The Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (IPEC; previously the Patents County Court or PCC) in London is an alternative venue to the High Court for bringing legal actions involving intellectual property matters such as patents, registered desi ...

, formerly Patents County Court *

Patents Court The Patents Court is a specialist court within the Chancery Division of the High Court of Justice of England and Wales. It deals with disputes relating to intellectual property Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includ ...

United States

United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (in case citations, Fed. Cir. or C.A.F.C.) is a United States court of appeals that has special appellate jurisdiction over certain types of specialized cases in the U.S. federal court ...

(exercising jurisdiction formerly vested in the

United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals The United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals (CCPA) was a United States federal court which existed from 1909 to 1982 and had jurisdiction over certain types of civil disputes. History The CCPA began as the United States Court of Customs ...

)