2026-10-27
Since the implementation of Phase II of the EU Designs Legal Reform on 1 July 2026, more than 100 EU designs have been filed using video and 3D digital models, demonstrating an early uptake of the new opportunities offered by the modernised EU design system.
During the first three months of the implementation of the legal reform, the Office received 25,591 EU design applications, including 25,452 using traditional static images, 103 using videos, and 36 using 3D digital models as graphic representations.
2026-10-27
This notice concerns Sarfaraz K. Niazi of Deerfield, Illinois who is a
registered patent agent (Registration Number 52,076). The United States
Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO") Director has reprimanded Dr. Niazi
for violating 37 C.F.R. §§ 11.101 (failing to provide competent
representation), 11.103 (failing to act with reasonable diligence in
representing a client), and 11.804(d) (engaging in conduct that is
prejudicial to the integrity of the U.S. patent examination and issuance
process). The reprimand is predicated on Dr. Niazi's violation of these
provisions of the USPTO Rules of Professional Conduct in connection with
the submission of incorrect Certifications of Micro Entity Status in
certain patent applications. See 37 C.F.R. § 1.29(a)(2).
2026-10-27
The annual European Judges’ Forum took place in Venice on 23 and 24 October. Organised by the Intellectual Property Judges Association (IPJA), the European Patent Lawyers Association (EPLAW) and the European Patent Office (EPO), the event brought together leading patent litigators and senior patent judges from the Unified Patent Court (UPC), national courts and the EPO Boards of Appeal.
2026-10-26
Judicial Symposium on Intellectual Property / TOKYO 2026 (JSIP2026) was held on Thursday, October 22 and Friday, October 23, 2026. It was co-hosted by the Japan Patent Office (JPO), the Supreme Court of Japan, the Intellectual Property High Court (IPHC), the Ministry of Justice, the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, and the IP Lawyers Network Japan.
This symposium has been held annually since 2017 with the aim of deepening mutual understanding of judicial and trial and appeal systems for intellectual property in participating countries and regions. The 2026 symposium marked the 10th edition of the event.
2026-10-26
The European Patent Office (EPO), Japan Patent Office (JPO) and United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) met in Vienna on 19-21 October for their 44th annual Trilateral Conference. The meeting brought together EPO President Antonio Campinos, who hosted the event, JPO Commissioner Yasuyuki Kasai and Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and USPTO Director John A. Squires to discuss current and future challenges facing the global patent system.
2026-10-22
Europe's competitiveness depends not only on research, but on turning scientific discoveries into technologies and products that reach the market. Technology transfer offices (TTOs) – specialised units within universities, public research organisations (PROs) and research hospitals – help make this happen by identifying promising inventions, protecting the underlying intellectual property, and connecting researchers with the industry partners and investors.
2026-10-16
The President of the Boards of Appeal has issued a decision permitting oral proceedings before a Board of Appeal to be audio-recorded and the recordings to be transcribed and processed with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) for the purpose of preparing the minutes. As before, participants other than EPO employees may not record or transmit oral proceedings in any form.
2026-10-16
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 $867 and will go into effect November 1, 2026.
2026-10-12
At the AIPPI World Congress in Hamburg, the President of the European Patent Office (EPO) Antonio Campinos exchanged with IP leaders from around the world on AI, patent quality and the future of the patent system.
2026-10-06
The Public Records Division (PRD) processes and fills orders for both
certified and uncertified copies of United States Patent and Trademark
Office documents, records assignments and other documents related to title.
This is an update of actual processing times for orders filled during the
month of August 2026.
2026-10-01
Changes to the Manual of Patent Practice
This section details the recent main changes to the manua
2026-10-01
Beginning November 7, 2026, Patent Public Search (PPUBS) will require users to sign in with a USPTO account. To ensure uninterrupted access and a smooth transition, current and prospective users who do not yet have an account are encouraged to click on the button below to create a USPTO account early.