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IP Legal Bulletin
Short notes on rule changes at patent and trade mark offices: laws, fees, procedures, deadlines and funding calls. Every note links to its official source, and past issues stay in the archive.
- Information, not legal advice
- Written with AI assistance, checked automatically against the source
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Offices followed: 14 (EPO, EUIPO, EU, UKIPO, DPMA (Germany), IGE (Switzerland), PRV (Sweden), PRH (Finland), Patentamt (Austria), IPOI (Ireland), USPTO, TIPO (Taiwan), WIPO, IPONZ (New Zealand)). · 29 coming soon
Issue of 9 November 2026
3 notes
- EPOProcedure
EPO introduces safeguards for deadlines missed during outages
The EPO has adopted further implementing measures under its fully digital patent granting process. The measures establish safeguards for users who miss a deadline due to an EPO outage or an exceptional event.
Published by the source on 2 November 2026
- UKIPOLaw or regulation
UK announces reforms to modernise design protection
The UK government has announced planned reforms to design law. The changes are intended to provide simpler and stronger protection, modernise the design system, and help smaller businesses safeguard their work.
Published by the source on 4 November 2026
Official source: UK Intellectual Property Office, news (GOV.UK)
- USPTOProcedure
PTAB to decide IPR and PGR institution on the merits from 16 November 2026
From 16 November 2026, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board will decide, on the Director's behalf, whether to institute inter partes review and post-grant review based on merits-based considerations. The Director will keep reviewing non-merits considerations, including discretionary ones, to set USPTO policy on institution. The new process applies to any IPR or PGR that does not yet have a notice referring the case for consideration of the merits.
Published by the source on 10 November 2026
Notes are written with the help of artificial intelligence from the offices’ official sources, and each note is checked automatically against its source before it appears. Our editors review and correct them. Every note links to its source. Information, not legal advice.
Archive
Past issues, newest first.
- Issue of 2 November 20266 notes
- Issue of 26 October 20262 notes
- Issue of 19 October 20261 note
- Issue of 12 October 20262 notes
- Issue of 28 September 20267 notes
- Issue of 14 September 20262 notes
- Issue of 7 September 20262 notes
- Issue of 31 August 20261 note
- Issue of 24 August 20264 notes
- Issue of 17 August 20262 notes
- Issue of 10 August 20264 notes
- Issue of 3 August 20261 note
- Issue of 27 July 20263 notes
- Issue of 20 July 20264 notes
- Issue of 13 July 20266 notes
- Issue of 6 July 20261 note
- Issue of 29 June 20263 notes
- Issue of 22 June 20265 notes
- Issue of 15 June 20263 notes
- Issue of 8 June 20266 notes
- Issue of 1 June 20265 notes
- Issue of 25 May 20262 notes
- Issue of 18 May 20261 note
- Issue of 11 May 20261 note
Offices coming soon
These offices are declared and will be followed as soon as their official source can be read automatically. Their notes are not in the bulletin yet.
Europe
- UPCEurope (UPC states)
- MIMIT (Italy)Italy
- OEPM (Spain)Spain
- DKPTO (Denmark)Denmark
- Patentstyret (Norway)Norway
- BOIP (Benelux)Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg
- UPRP (Poland)Poland
- IPO CZ (Czechia)Czechia
- INPI (Portugal)Portugal
- TURKPATENT (Türkiye)Türkiye
- Rospatent (Russia)Russia
Asia
- JPO (Japan)Japan
- KIPO (Korea)South Korea
- CNIPA (China)China
- CGPDTM (India)India
- IPD (Hong Kong)Hong Kong
- IP VietnamVietnam
- IPOPHL (Philippines)Philippines
- DIP (Thailand)Thailand
- DGIP (Indonesia)Indonesia
- MyIPO (Malaysia)Malaysia
- ILPO (Israel)Israel
- SAIP (Saudi Arabia)Saudi Arabia
International
- EAPOEurasia
- OAPIAfrica (member states)
- GCC Patent OfficeGulf Cooperation Council
Other
- IP AustraliaAustralia
- INPI (Brazil)Brazil
- CIPC (South Africa)South Africa
Also watched, with nothing relevant lately: INPI (France), IPOS (Singapore), ARIPO, CIPO (Canada), IMPI (Mexico).