Insights

Editor’s note (24 September 2026): as of publication we have not located an official announcement of the measures described below; this article is based on industry briefings and is subject to official confirmation.

South Korea’s Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP) announced on 2 September 2026 a targeted incentive package for designs tied to the metaverse and digital economy. From this week, international design applications filed through the Hague System that designate South Korea and clearly identify the product as a graphical user interface (GUI), digital virtual avatar or virtual-space architecture will receive an automatic 50% reduction in substantive examination fees and the first post-grant maintenance fee at the Korean national stage. The measure is paired with procedural channel improvements and signals a deliberate effort to make South Korea a more competitive venue for securing rights in digital intangible assets.

For applicants, the practical issue is not simply the lower fee. Product identification and filing route may determine whether the application falls within the incentive. Companies planning Hague filings that include South Korea should align the wording of GUI, digital avatar and virtual-space design products with the Korean eligibility criteria from the international filing stage, then recheck the conditions before national-stage examination. The scheme is targeted rather than a blanket reduction for all Hague applications, so the actual benefit will depend on classification, product wording and the detailed implementation rules applied by MOIP.

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 intention-to-grant notice within six months.

For trademarks, the accelerated route now places greater weight on filing discipline: applicants must use IPOS's pre-approved goods and services database, and an uncontested application may reach registration in as little as three months. The practical message is that speed will depend on preparation as much as filing date. Claim structure, technology fit and the wording of goods and services can determine whether an application can actually enter the fast lane, so applicants should check the latest eligibility rules before committing filing budgets or relying on accelerated timelines.

Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce and Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) have released the final public-consultation report on proposed amendments to the industrial design provisions of the Patent Act. The latest update, dated 2 September, shows a reform package increasingly aligned with international design filing practice, including protection for partial designs and the ability to include multiple designs in a single application. The draft also aims to shorten examination timelines and reduce procedural complexity around extensions, bringing Thailand closer to completing the domestic legal groundwork needed for accession to the Hague System.

For companies managing regional design portfolios, the practical significance goes beyond the prospect of Hague accession itself. A multiple-design filing option could reduce procedural duplication for product families, while partial-design protection may offer more flexible coverage for components, selected visual features and interface elements. The final statutory text, effective date and Thailand’s formal Hague accession timetable still depend on the remaining legislative and international steps, so portfolio owners would be better served by reviewing design families and filing priorities now rather than waiting for the new framework to take effect.

On 1 April 2026, the Registrar of Trademarks in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq issued a decision extending the term of trademark protection in its jurisdiction from 10 to 15 years. The new term applies to future applications and to pending applications whose certificates had not been issued on the effective date; existing registrations keep their original term. Regional practitioners also report that the Region no longer recognises registrations obtained in Baghdad, so direct filings in Erbil are required. The change stands apart from the 10-year cycle more commonly used internationally and also differs from the 10-year term applied under Iraq’s federal system in Baghdad. Companies holding or seeking trademark rights in different parts of Iraq may therefore need to manage renewal calendars, budgets and portfolio records by reference to the relevant registration authority rather than treating Iraq as a single-term jurisdiction.

The practical effect is broader than simply adding five years of protection. Rights holders should distinguish between federal registrations and registrations administered in the Kurdistan Region, then verify the relevant expiry and renewal dates for each portfolio item. The reported change establishes the new 15-year term, but questions such as how existing registrations transition and whether any special renewal arrangements apply should still be checked against further guidance from the competent authority and the record of each registration.

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 budgets and quotations that were prepared before 1 September. Pending matters that have not yet reached a payment point may now require higher official-fee allocations, while renewal and prosecution forecasts should also be recalculated. Because the payable amount for each procedure depends on its prescribed BCR multiple, parties should confirm the latest fee schedule with the competent authority or local counsel before making payment.

OAPI (the African Intellectual Property Organization) issued Official Bulletin No. 05 BR/2026 on 1 September 2026, while practitioners are closely tracking a separate but potentially far more consequential fee-support proposal. Under the terms currently being discussed, eligible innovation-focused applicants could see official patent registration fees fall from roughly CFA 1,000,000 to CFA 22,500. OAPI has also indicated that it would cover 80% of maintenance fees for the first five years after grant. If implemented on those terms, the measure would go well beyond an ordinary fee adjustment and could materially change filing budgets and early-stage portfolio costs across the OAPI system.

The practical question is now less about the headline reduction than about eligibility, procedure and scope. Final implementing rules are still awaiting adoption by the Council of Ministers, so applicants should not yet treat the lower figures as settled filing costs. Those considering direct OAPI filings or entry into the OAPI regional phase via the PCT should watch the qualification criteria, covered fee items and effective date closely. Once the details are confirmed, the programme could become one of OAPI’s most significant patent-cost incentives in recent years.