In this article, Mr Toby Mak, the external expert at China IP SME Helpdesk, shared his own observations concerning the latest 2025 Draft Amendment to the Trademark Law that was submitted to the NPC Standing Committee.
In December 2025, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) released the first part of a landmark working paper on the interface between Generative AI and Copyright. The report addresses the critical legal tension between AI developers who need vast datasets for training and content creators seeking compensation for the use of their intellectual property.
Indian patent law has seen a steady rise in genus–species disputes across multiple High Courts. In the post-Novartis landscape, these cases largely revolve around a key question: whether a later species patent is already disclosed—and therefore anticipated—by an earlier genus patent under Section 64(1)(a). Read our blog post to explore this issue in more detail and discover the latest developments.
Public awareness of intellectual property (IP) rights continues to grow globally, and new findings from WIPO Pulse 2025 shed light on evolving consumer perceptions in India and across the Asia-Pacific region.
On January 7, 2026, India’s Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trade Marks (CGPDTM) issued a public notice warning against several popular online platforms offering trademark registration services, including 'makeinindia.com', 'cleartax.in', and 'startupwala.com'. The authority clarified that these entities are neither registered trademark agents nor advocates under the Trade Marks Act, and therefore are not authorized to practice before the Registrar of Trademarks.
After nearly two decades of negotiations, the European Union (EU) and the Republic of India have officially concluded a landmark Free Trade Agreement (FTA), a historic milestone that promises to reshape global commerce and redefine economic ties between two of the world’s largest markets. Discover more about the developments arising from the agreement in our blog post!
Argentina’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) adopted Resolution 583/2025, modernising the examination of trademark applications to make the process simpler, faster, and more predictable for entrepreneurs, professionals, and businesses.
On 9 January 2026, the EU Council authorised the signing of two agreements with Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay): the EU–Mercosur Partnership Agreement (EMPA) and the Interim Trade Agreement (iTA). The EMPA establishes a comprehensive framework for political dialogue and cooperation, including a trade and investment pillar.
The World Trademark Review annual IP Office Innovation Ranking highlights trade mark agencies at the forefront of innovation. In this year’s ranking, the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) placed 11th among the world’s leading IP offices. The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) was ranked as the most innovative IP office globally, while Brazil’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) secured 19th place.
On 3 December 2025, the Brazilian Federal Revenue Service published the Interpretative Declaratory Act RFB No. 3/2025. This sets out uniform criteria for customs action against imported goods suspected of being counterfeit or of having a false indication of origin.
Awareness of intellectual property (IP) rights continues to rise worldwide, with Latin American and Caribbean states standing out for notably high levels of understanding of copyright, trademarks and geographical indications, according to the latest WIPO Pulse 2025 study.
A new checklist has been published to support the registration of craft and industrial geographical indications (CIGIs). Designed primarily for national competent authorities, the checklist provides practical guidance on the steps and documentation required for CIGI filings and aims to ensure transparency and consistency in the application of the new EU-wide protection system.
Applications are now open for the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Global Awards 2026, an international initiative recognising small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups that successfully use intellectual property (IP) to create economic and societal value. Submit your applications by 31 March 2026!
The Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) Support Facility supports regional and national innovation stakeholders and public authorities by strengthening interregional innovation ecosystems and advancing the objectives of the I3 Instrument. A key element of the Facility is the Policy Lab, where dedicated discussion groups address priority topics such as interregional collaboration, stakeholder engagement, and funding instruments.
Momentum is building for the introduction of an EU-wide company status, as the European Parliament has backed plans for a new optional corporate legal framework to support faster company creation and easier cross-border expansion. The proposed “28th regime,” expected to be presented by the European Commission in March, aims to simplify operations across Member States and attract cross-border investment. Members of the European Parliament have also called for stronger links between companies, universities, and research organisations to boost the commercialisation of research results.
The CNIPA announced that the IP regulator authorized a total of 972,000 invention patents, and more than 4.2 million trademarks registered on the Chinese mainland in 2025.
The EIC Innovation Procurement Programme powered by SPIN4EIC is organising an online pitching session in cooperation with Chips JU on advanced semiconductor manufacturing.
The EIC and the Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF), are organising an EIC Info Day taking place in Nicosia, Cyprus, on 18 February 2026.
From 6 to 9 January, the EIC brought together a delegation of Europe’s most promising deep tech innovators to the world’s largest technology stage at CES 2026 in Las Vegas, USA.
The new EIC Board will meet for the first time on 29-30 January in Brussels, in the presence of Commissioner Zaharieva. They will among other things kick off their term by discussing key priorities for EIC to scaling up Europe's deep tech champions.
