The UK Intellectual Property Office updated its trade mark forms and fees guidance on 23 July 2026, adding a dedicated TPO form under Section 9 for third-party observations submitted before a mark is registered. The consolidated guidance also brings together the forms, revised fees and procedural updates used for applications, changes of ownership or representation, renewals, document requests, extensions, appeals, oppositions and cancellation actions. Fee-bearing forms reflect the rates effective from 1 April 2026, while clearer category headings and short descriptions make the page easier...

On 30 July 2026, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued an official notice designating the severe earthquake that struck Japan on 28 July as an “extraordinary situation” under 37 CFR 1.183, 2.146(a)(5) and 2.148. Depending on the proceeding, affected patent and trademark applicants, patent owners, reexamination parties and trademark registrants may request measures such as restarting an unexpired response period, waiving certain petition fees or maintenance-fee surcharges, or obtaining relief from delays caused by the disaster. For trademark matters, the notice also...

Bahrain’s Intellectual Property Office has reported that its IP portal, previously disrupted by a technical failure, is now fully restored. The authority has also clarified that late filings caused by the service interruption will not attract late fees and should not prejudice core deadlines such as priority claims; affected users should now complete any pending steps through the online system as soon as possible.The practical message is reassuring but not a reason to slow down. The temporary allowance to submit certified legal documents, including powers of attorney, within three months...

Jordan’s Cabinet has advanced amendments to the Investment Environment Regulation, with a clear focus on reducing procedural friction for foreign investors entering the market. The changes are expected to simplify business registration and improve the way related checks, including trade names and trademarks, are handled before or during registration. For companies planning a Jordanian entity or brand launch, the practical point is straightforward: name clearance and trademark registrability may need to be assessed earlier in the investment process.A separate but connected filing update is...

Qatar’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry has launched five new intellectual-property e-services covering copyright and neighbouring-rights recordals, certificate issuance, amendments, assignments and official file enquiries. The update is practical rather than cosmetic: for creators, rights holders and IP agents, copyright-related filings can now be handled with a clearer digital trail, reducing reliance on paper submissions and fragmented follow-up.The copyright upgrade sits alongside Qatar’s recent implementation of the 13th edition of the Nice Classification, after which all 45 trade...

Mexico’s amended Federal Law for the Protection of Industrial Property has turned ambush marketing into a more immediate compliance issue for brands planning campaigns around the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The reform published on 3 April adds a specific administrative infringement to Article 386 of the LFPPI, covering acts that lead the public to reasonably assume an official sponsorship relationship between a distinctive sign and a mass public or private event.For non-sponsors, the risk now extends beyond unauthorised use of official logos. Social media copy, promotional hashtags, colour...

Brazil’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) is opening the second phase of its trademark fast-track programme from May 2026, with 3,000 places available across the year. For applicants that need a registration quickly for platform access, public funding, dispute handling or international portfolio coordination, the programme may become a practical timing tool rather than a procedural formality.The reform also changes how High Reputation Marks can be handled in Brazil. Under the rule effective from 1 May, an applicant may link registration numbers in several classes within a...

The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) reopened requests for both SG Patents Fast and SG Trade Marks Fast on 1 September 2026 after a suspension lasting more than half a year. The updated operating guidance introduces tighter annual quota management for patent acceleration, more detailed limits on claim numbers, and closer attention to technology fields. Patent applications will generally need to stay within 20 claims, while areas such as artificial intelligence and green technologies may receive priority examination resources. For qualifying cases, IPOS is targeting an...

Developments dated 10 September 2026 indicate that the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO) and the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) have introduced a new framework aimed at online trademark squatting and counterfeiting, while placing more direct compliance duties on major e-commerce platforms. Where a mark is officially identified by MyIPO as a bad-faith trademark, platforms such as Shopee, Lazada Malaysia and TikTok Shop are expected not only to remove related listings but also to operate a blacklist mechanism that can restrict or shut down local stores using...

Brazil’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) has placed examination efficiency at the centre of its 2026 action plan, with artificial intelligence tools expected to support searches, classification and substantive review for trademarks and industrial designs. For applicants, this should not be read as a simple IT update. If the new tools are matched with reliable data, examiner oversight and clear operating criteria, Brazil’s long examination timelines could begin to move in a more predictable direction.The plan also points to stronger regional protection for geographical...

From 1 September 2026, Uzbekistan increased its Base Calculation Rate (BCR) from UZS 412,000 to UZS 440,000. Under Presidential Decree PF-115 and notices circulated by regional IP practitioners, official fees for trademarks, patents and industrial designs that are calculated by reference to the BCR have risen accordingly across filing, examination, registration and renewal stages. The change therefore affects more than a single fee item: it raises the cost baseline for obtaining and maintaining IP rights in Uzbekistan.For applicants and rights holders, the immediate task is to refresh...

On 9 July 2026, the UK Intellectual Property Office used specialist audio-equipment cover maker ARB Covers to show how a small business can build intellectual property checks into product development before launch. The company has registered around 15 designs and secured trade mark protection for its brand, while also drawing on support from Business & IP Centres. The feature is not a change in the law. Its value lies in the practical message: a smaller business can start with a disciplined review of product appearance, branding and disclosure timing rather than treating IP as something...

China’s trademark authority has announced that, from 1 July 2026, trademark matters handled through agencies should in principle be filed electronically through the CNIPA online service system rather than on paper. The change covers filing, examination and official communications, while matters involving electronic evidence must follow the relevant submission guidance.For agencies, this is more than a change of delivery channel. Account permissions, client authorisations, evidence formats, version control and deadline records will need tighter internal management. A fuller digital trail...

IP Australia’s 2026 Australian Intellectual Property Report shows that trademark filings reached a record 97,345 in 2025, up 13.3%, while applications by Australian residents rose 15.1% to 55,913. Domestic standard complete patent filings also increased, from 2,578 to 2,810, a gain of 9.0%. Taken together, the patent, trademark and design data suggest that Australian businesses are making more deliberate use of IP to support branding, technology protection and product differentiation.The growth was not evenly distributed across filing origins. Standard patent applications from the United...

Recent EU trademark decisions confirm that the public’s level of attention is only one element in the global assessment of likelihood of confusion, not a switch that determines the outcome by itself. In Kutxabank v EUIPO – Klarna Bank (K.) (T‑105/25, 13 May 2026), the General Court showed that confusion may still arise among a highly attentive public where the services are identical and the signs are strongly similar visually and identical phonetically. Conversely, greater attention can sharpen distinctions where the goods or services are more remote or the overall differences between the...

According to an update published by Adams & Adams on 16 July 2026, Sudan’s Intellectual Property Administrative Registrar has resumed strict application of section 19(3) of the Trade Marks Act 1969. A registration may now be renewed only within the statutory six-month grace period following expiry, subject to the applicable late fee. Renewal requests filed after that period will no longer be accepted. The more flexible practice adopted during conflict-related operational disruption has therefore come to an end.The change removes much of the room for retrospective correction. Owners of...

According to an update published by Adams & Adams on 16 July 2026, Libya’s Commercial Registry Authority has resumed electronic publication of trademark notices through its official website. The 2026 electronic trademark gazette was issued on 14 May and covers applications numbered 55261 to 57597. Third parties may file oppositions online within 30 days of publication. Gazette publication had previously been suspended for an extended period, leaving the opposition process effectively stalled.The restart restores an important procedural checkpoint for applicants and rights holders, but the...

Singapore’s Intellectual Property Office (IPOS) has refined its practice guidance for trade mark applications covering virtual goods and Web3.0 services. Descriptions in Class 9 for downloadable virtual goods, Class 35 for retail services involving virtual goods, and Class 41 for virtual entertainment services are expected to identify the digital content or service with greater precision; broad wording such as “virtual goods” or generic NFT-related services may attract objections or require narrowing.The more consequential point concerns revocation for five years’ non-use. Displaying a...

On 3 June 2026, the Paris Judicial Court ruled in a dispute brought by Hermès International and Hermès Sellier against Le Bidon Français, a French gallery operator. The defendant displayed and sold decorative objects—including crushed cans, trays and fire extinguishers—bearing Hermès word and figurative marks, while also using the Hermès name in product listings and social-media promotion. The court found that the signs were being used to market and sell goods, amounting to trademark infringement, and also upheld Hermès Sellier’s unfair competition claim.The ruling does not say that...

The UK Intellectual Property Office published a ready-to-use package on 23 July 2026 to help partners and stakeholders explain intellectual property to small businesses and start-ups. The materials include adaptable social media copy, supporting images and alt text, plus short and long e-newsletter templates that direct businesses to official guidance and local support.Continue reading with a member accountRegister free to unlock full analysis and practical recommendations.Log InRegister