2026-07-23
After around a decade of digital transformation in close collaboration with all stakeholders, the European Patent Office (EPO) will formally complete the transition to a fully digital patent granting process (PGP) on 1 April 2027, when digital filing and notification become mandatory. While most users have already embraced the EPO’s high-quality, intuitive and accessible digital services, targeted support will be available to those who have not yet started interacting digitally with the EPO.
2026-07-22
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is proposing to amend the rules of practice to require a third party request for ex parte reexamination to include a statement by the third party requester identifying all real parties in interest to the ex parte reexamination request. This statement would be kept confidential upon request. The proposed requirement would provide the Office with a mechanism to evaluate statutory estoppel provisions and also enhance the Office’s ability to respond to false certifications, misrepresentations, and fraud.
2026-07-20
The International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization has informed the United States Patent and Trademark Office that a new dollar amount has been established for the search fee required by the Ministry of Intellectual Property of the Republic of Korea (MOIP) when acting as an International Searching Authority. The new dollar amount of the search fee required by the MOIP will be $783 and will go into effect August 1, 2026.
2026-07-20
Beginning July 23, America's Innovation Agency, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), will unveil a new USPTO.gov homepage design to make it easier to find information and improve our customers’ experience.
2026-07-17
The U.S Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has marked a historic first after signing a statement of intent for a new Accelerated Patent Grant (APG) arrangement between the USPTO and Ghana’s IP office, the Registrar General’s Department, Ministry of Justice (GHIPO).
2026-07-16
Starting July 23, all registered users can update their profile information in the Open Data Portal.? When you visit our site, you’ll see a prompt to add information to your profile. This step is now optional but will be required beginning August 18. Starting that day, you’ll need to complete your profile in order to use the site. ?For more information on access and registration, visit this page with resources.
2026-07-16
A specialized investigative division dedicated to preventing the leakage and theft of advanced technologies, including semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI), and safeguarding national technology security will officially begin operations on June 30, 2026.
2026-07-15
During the USPTO Hour webinar this week, USPTO Deputy Commissioner Barry Schindler, Acting Deputy Commissioner Dave Wiley, and Technology Center Director Tariq Hafiz discussed interview practice between patent applicants and examiners.
2026-07-15
Today, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) launched a new landing webpage and an updated statistics webpage on the USPTO.gov website. The updated landing webpage enhances user experience and highlights the most valuable information, such as the procedures governing trials and appeals, Director processes, and resources. The updated statistics webpage highlights current fiscal year trial statistics, appeals statistics, PTAB dashboards, and special reports. It also houses the Office’s Director Review spreadsheet, which provides the status of all Director Review requests. As part of this update, the PTAB has retired and archived the Status of Director Review webpage.
2026-07-15
Watch USPTO's Interview Practice short video below for a brief tutorial to the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) tool in the Patent Center.
2026-07-14
Fresh off its delegation to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Assemblies in Geneva, and following the appointment of Laura Peter as Deputy Director General for Patents and Technology, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today announced the launch of an International Patent Assignment Initiative to simplify and modernize the administration of cross-border patent ownership and assignments.
2026-07-14
The European Patent Office (EPO) participated in Servus Scale Up 2026 in Munich, highlighting the role of patents, patent data and IP expertise in supporting Europe's quantum innovation ecosystem. The event brought together 200 French and Bavarian startups, investors, technology transfer professionals, researchers, and policymakers to strengthen cross-border co-operation in emerging technologies.
2026-07-14
The generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) patent landscape has reached a new milestone, with more new patents published in 2024 and 2025 than in the entire preceding ten years combined, according to new data published today by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
2026-07-13
To provide a smarter and more convenient trademark search service, the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs announced today (the 13th) the addition of an "auto-suggestion for goods and services names" feature to its trademark search system. This feature assists applicants in quickly and accurately looking up names for designated goods or services prior to filing, thereby reducing the likelihood of needing to make corrections due to non-compliant entries and saving both time and costs associated with the application process.
2026-07-07
Effective July 24, 2026, Assignment Search will be enhanced to provide updated assignment information, helping users access the most current assignment data available.
2026-07-06
The Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP) of the Republic of Korea, headed by Minister KIM Yong Sun, announced that it held a series of bilateral meetings on June 10 with its key cooperation partner offices attending the IP5 Heads of Office Meeting* held in Tokyo, Japan.
2026-07-03
IP Australia has updated the Patent Manual of Practice and Procedure following public consultation relating to computer-implemented inventions.
The updates to the Manual reflect the Full Federal Court's decision in Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Patents [2025] FCAFC 131 and our consideration of submissions to a public consultation process (16 March – 17 May 2026).
2026-07-03
The Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP), led by Minister KIM Yong Sun, announced that partial amendments to the Enforcement Rules of the Trademark Act and the Enforcement Rules of the Design Protection Act will take effect starting on June 17, 2026. The amendments aim enhance the international recognition and credibility of trademark and design certificates and streamline related application procedures.
2026-07-01
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)’s trademark serial number system provides an eight-digit unique identifier for every trademark application. Over the years, we’ve usually assigned numbers in ascending order. However, with applications now starting with the 99-series, you may be wondering what happens next. On July 18, 2026, the USPTO will begin issuing a new range of serial numbers for applications filed under sections 1 or 44 of the Trademark Act.
2026-06-26
The revised law, passed at a session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the national legislature, will take effect on Jan. 1, 2027.
Consisting of 87 articles in nine chapters, the revision highlights key issues in the trademark field. It stipulates the work requirements, regulates the filing of registrations, streamlines the procedures for authorization and validation, tightens administration and enhances the protection of exclusive trademark rights.
A trademark is a major type of intellectual property. By the end of 2025, the Chinese mainland had over 49.8 million valid registered trademarks.
2026-06-26
The "Pilot Program for Accelerated Examination of Invention Patent Applications by Women," launched on July 1, 2025, is set to expire on June 30, 2026. Since the program's inception, the average time from application submission by female applicants to the receipt of examination results has been only 44.2 days, demonstrating excellent results. To encourage women to engage in innovative invention and accelerate their access to patent protection, and following an assessment of current examination capacity, the program has been revised and will undergo a renewed pilot run until June 30, 2027.